Dalit seers form separate parishad, seek equal rights at Maha Kumbh

Prayagraj: Dalit seers from different parts of the country have set up a new body –Valmiki Sadhu Sant Parishad— that would check conversions, eliminate untouchability, establish social harmony and increase the glory of Sanatan Dharma.

The parishad intends to set up a camp in the Maha Kumbh, for which the representatives would soon meet mela officials. They will seek all facilities akin to those provided to the 13 akharas under Akhil Bhartiya Akhara Parishad (ABAP).

Led by Mahamandaleshwar Bhavani Nath Valmiki, who earlier left Kinnar Akhara, an important meeting of the parishad was held in Delhi on Nov 18, wherein seers from Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, and Haridwar participated.

“If the govt and the akharas claim that they consider the Dalit community as their own, then they must give us the same respect as they show for the other 13 akharas. Our parishad should also get the same facilities and the right to perform shahi snan as is given to seers and members of other akharas,” said Bhavani Nath, alias Bhavani Maa, while talking to TOI over phone. She further said: “If our demands are not met, we will boycott the Maha Kumbh mela.”

She added that the parishad does not want any recognition from ABAP as the 14th akhara.

“We are a religious organisation and want all the seers of the Dalit community to come under one umbrella as we are not merely ‘use and throw’ property, which is remembered only during elections,” said Bhavani Nath. People from the deprived society have been wearing saffron after taking sanyaas, but there was a lack of unity among them. To end this, the parishad called for a united platform.

“When eunuchs can be adopted as sanyasis and given the facilities by the mela administration along with a slot for shahi snan, then why not our society? Today there is talk of unity. For unity, the seers of the Dalit society will have to be given the rights to participate in shahi snan and do bhajan-pujan in the mela area,” she said.

Meanwhile, ABAP chief Shrimahant Ravindra Puri (president of Mansa Devi Trust), said: “The irony is that such parishads come into existence only during mega religious events like Kumbh or Maha Kumbh. Where was this parishad all these years? However, they are welcome in the mela area like all the other organisations and should be given the needed facilities, but they cannot be allowed to participate in rajsi snan (shahi snan) as a separate identity. If they want to participate in rajsi snan, they must come under any of the 13 akharas as Kinnar Akhara did in 2019 when it joined Juna Akhara.”

Courtesy : TOI

Note: This news is originally published in timesofindia.com and was used solely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes exclusively for Human Rights