Gujarat seers Sadaram Bapu, Baldevnath Maharaj seek normal relations with Pakistan: Indo-Pak peace marchers

The mahant of Dev Darbar Math

By Kaleem Siddiqui
The India-Pakistan Friendship and Peace march, which started from Ahmedabad's Gandhi Ashram on June 19, completed about 170 kilometers till last Monday. Halting for night at in Thar in Banaskantha district, the next day the foot marchers walked around 15 km in the morning to reach Dev Darbar Jageer Math Ashram, where they were given a grand welcome by the ashram people.
After the completion of the welcome ceremony, all the foot marchers, including Magsaysay award winning activist,-scholar Sandeep Pandey, met mahant Baldevnathji Maharaj.
The Dev Darbar Math is located in Banaskantha district and is only 80 kilometres from the Pakistan border. He said, “Across the border in the Hyderabad region live Hindus. Nearly 500 Madhavani Hindu families living there are the followers of the Math. Last year, they organized a five-day Satsanga in Pakistan, where I addressed both Hindus and Muslims."
"Earlier, many followers would visit the Math in India, but due to bitterness and tension in both the countries, they cannot come to India from Pakistan. So I visited Pakistan last year. Not only did I visit the spot, I also helped them construct a magnificent temple. A grand hospital named Hey Nath is under construction for the people of Salempur in Pakistan", he said.
"One of our friends is Ghanshyam, MLA in Pakistan", Baldevnathji said, greeting the foot marchers, adding, "Generally people of both the countries love each other, they are very few people who work to spread hatred amongst us. Mutual love between people of the two countries will create brotherhood and harmony, which is necessary for progress and prosperity."

Sandeep Pandey outside the Math

Pandey said, "When we met Sadaram Bapu in Lotana village, he was a very pleased that this kind of march came out to connect the hearts of the two countries. There are Hindu religious leaders who are very much secular and want good relations with Pakistan. After marching to north Gujarat we came to know that there is no poison of communalism in these areas."
Yet, he regretted, no space is given by the mainstream media to such religious leaders. "North Gujarat is connected to the Pakistan border. Yet there is no open way for Pakistan, which is unfortunate. Baldevnathji, Sadaram Bapu and many people want bus service should be started between Suigaam in India and Nagar Parker in Pakistan. Persons like Sadaram Bapu and Baldevnathji play an important role in creating harmony in north Gujarat. Being religious leaders, these people can play a role in people's diplomacy "
Pandey further said, "We asked Banadevnathji that in Pakistan there is a lot of tyranny with Hindus, they are forced to convert their religion, and some media organizations in India claim that there is no permission to construct temples. Baldevnathji replied, 'I have lived in Pakistan for a month in October 2017. Although my follower may belong to a particular community, Muslims of Pakistan also met me respectfully and gave us honour, as if they were our followers. I am constructing a hospital in salempur in Pakistan called Hey Nath. I found there is no forced conversion. Anyone can built temple , there was no need for permission, except that you are required a purchase or get a donated land. Even today, there is a Hindu Kingdom (Omar Kot)'."
The marchers will reach Nadabet border on June 30, which is the last stop. Kaushar Ali Saiyyed, one of the foot marchers, said, "I have police permission till Nandeshwari Mata but we are waiting for Nadabet border permission from BSF. We have written a letter to BSF IG and are in talks with BSF. Hopefully we will get the border permission before June 28.”

Comments

1857 War of Independence... when Hindu-Muslim separatism, hatred wasn't an issue

"The Sepoy Revolt at Meerut", Illustrated London News, 1857 By Shamsul Islam* Large sections of Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs unitedly challenged the greatest imperialist power, Britain, during India’s First War of Independence which began on May 10, 1857; the day being Sunday. This extraordinary unity, naturally, unnerved the firangees and made them realize that if their rule was to continue in India, it could happen only when Hindus and Muslims, the largest two religious communities were divided on communal lines.

The curious case of multiple entries of a female voter of Maharashtra: What ECI's online voter records reveal

By Venkatesh Nayak* Cyberspace is agog with data, names and documents which question the reliability of the electoral rolls prepared by the electoral bureaucracy in Maharashtra prior to the General Elections conducted in 2024. One such example of deep dive probing has brought to the surface, the name of one female voter in the 132-Nalasopara (Gen) Vidhan Sabha Constituency in Maharashtra. Nalasopara is part of the Palghar (ST) Lok Sabha constituency. This media report claims that this individual's name figures multiple times in the voter list of the same constituency.

N-power plant at Mithi Virdi: CRZ nod is arbitrary, without jurisdiction

By Krishnakant* A case-appeal has been filed against the order of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and others granting CRZ clearance for establishment of intake and outfall facility for proposed 6000 MWe Nuclear Power Plant at Mithi Virdi, District Bhavnagar, Gujarat by Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) vide order in F 11-23 /2014-IA- III dated March 3, 2015. The case-appeal in the National Green Tribunal at Western Bench at Pune is filed by Shaktisinh Gohil, Sarpanch of Jasapara; Hajabhai Dihora of Mithi Virdi; Jagrutiben Gohil of Jasapara; Krishnakant and Rohit Prajapati activist of the Paryavaran Suraksha Samiti. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued a notice to the MoEF&CC, Gujarat Pollution Control Board, Gujarat Coastal Zone Management Authority, Atomic Energy Regulatory Board and Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and case is kept for hearing on August 20, 2015. Appeal No. 23 of 2015 (WZ) is filed, a...

Spirit of leadership vs bondage: Of empowered chairman of 100-acre social forestry coop

By Gagan Sethi* This is about Khoda Sava, a young Dalit belonging to the Vankar sub-caste, who worked as a bonded labourer in a village near Vadgam in Banskantha district of North Gujarat. The year was 1982. Khoda had taken a loan of Rs 7,000 from the village sarpanch, a powerful landlord doing money-lending as his side business. Khoda, who had taken the loan for marriage, was landless. Normally, villagers would mortgage their land if they took loan from the sarpanch. But Khoda had no land. He had no option but to enter into a bondage agreement with the sarpanch in order to repay the loan. Working in bondage on the sarpanch’s field meant that he would be paid Rs 1,200 per annum, from which his loan amount with interest would be deducted. He was also obliged not to leave the sarpanch’s field and work as daily wager somewhere else. At the same time, Khoda was offered meal once a day, and his wife job as agricultural worker on a “priority basis”. That year, I was working as secretary...

Ground reality: Israel would a remain Jewish state, attempt to overthrow it will be futile

By NS Venkataraman* Now that truce has been arrived at between Israel and Hamas for a period of four days and with release of a few hostages from both sides, there is hope that truce would be further extended and the intensity of war would become significantly less. This likely “truce period” gives an opportunity for the sworn supporters and bitter opponents of Hamas as well as Israel and the observers around the world to introspect on the happenings and whether this war could have been avoided. There is prolonged debate for the last several decades as to whom the present region that has been provided to Jews after the World War II belong. View of some people is that Jews have been occupants earlier and therefore, the region should belong to Jews only. However, Christians and those belonging to Islam have also lived in this regions for long period. While Christians make no claim, the dispute is between Jews and those who claim themselves to be Palestinians. In any case...

Two more "aadhaar-linked" Jharkhand deaths: 17 die of starvation since Sept 2017

Kaleshwar's sons Santosh and Mantosh Counterview Desk A fact-finding team of the Right to Feed Campaign, pointing towards the death of two more persons due to starvation in Jharkhand, has said that this has happened because of the absence of aadhaar, leading to “persistent lack of food at home and unavailability of any means of earning.” It has disputed the state government claims that these deaths are due to reasons other than starvation, adding, the authorities have “done nothing” to reduce the alarming state of food insecurity in the state.

Govt of India "tarnishing" NGO reputation, dossier leaked selectively: Amnesty

Counterview Desk Amnesty International India has said that a deliberate attempt is being made to tarnish its reputation by leaking a dossier, supposedly made by investigating agencies, to media without giving it access to any such information. The high profile NGO’s claim follows a Times Now report about proceedings launched by investigative agencies, including Enforcement Directorate (ED) against the rights body for “violations” of rules pertaining to overseas donations.

Proposed Modi yatra from Jharkhand an 'insult' of Adivasi hero Birsa Munda: JMM

Counterview Desk The civil rights network, Jharkhand Janadhikar Mahasabha (JMM), which claims to have 30 grassroots groups under its wings, has decided to launch Save Democracy campaign to oppose Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Vikasit Bharat Sankalp Yatra to be launched on November 15 from the village of legendary 19th century tribal independence leader Birsa Munda from Ulihatu (Khunti district).

How AMU student politics prioritises Islamist ideologies rather than addressing campus-specific concerns

By Yanis Iqbal* In his recent piece titled "Unmasking the Power Struggles of Soqme Teachers Behind the AMU Students’ Agitation," Mohammad Sajjad, professor of modern and contemporary Indian history at the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), has has approached the recent protests against fee increases at AMU with a skeptical eye. He portrays them not as a pure, student-led reaction to financial burdens, but as possibly intertwined with deeper institutional rivalries. While recognizing that the university administration faces ongoing demands from the government and the University Grants Commission (UGC) to boost self-generated revenue via fee adjustments, he highlights a key shortfall: neither the administration nor the protesters have shared clear, comparative data on fee structures or their rationale.

Search This Blog