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DEVGAD (Maharashtra), MAY 21. When Buddhist monks initiated hundreds of Dalit boys and girls into the ``panchsheel, trisaral and arya-ashtan marg'', they did not care if they knew the Dhamma Parishad they were participating in was an RSS-inspired event. The occasion was the silver jubilee of a Buddhist vihar (temple) at Girye-Baudhwadi, a tiny hamlet about 20 km from here, and Buddha Jayanti.
The Samajik Samarasata Manch (social equality forum) and Samata Parishad (harmony conference) - two little known outfits of the Sangh Parivar - had worked tirelessly for the Dhamma Parishad organised by the Girye Baudhajan Vikas Mandal (BVM), a local body run by Mr. Vijay Girkar. The BVM is the local affiliate of the Manch.
Mr. Girkar, a legislator and former BJP Minister of State for Social Welfare, is a committed Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh activist though he began his career with the Dalit Panthers. ``Yes, we have quit Hinduism but not society and we are working for all-round progress and place of pride in society for the Buddhists,'' he told The Hindu defending his RSS links but stressing that the celebrations had no place for politics.
The Sangh Parivar has made deep inroads into the Buddhist and Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes segment of society in the State. Its growing influence was felt last month when a few Dalits turned up at the meeting of the Congress(I) president, Ms. Sonia Gandhi, though the occasion was the birth anniversary of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar in Nagpur, where he embraced Buddhism. Several top Dalit leaders were on the dais.
Similar was the experience of several progressive intellectuals of Nagpur when they washed the statue of Ambedkar after it was garlanded by Mr. K. S. Sudarshan, RSS chief. They had anticipated good support from the Dalits. One of them, Prof. B. L. Bhole, said Mr. Sudarshan's hypocrisy could not be exposed because of the apathy of Dalits which indicated the RSS' growing influence.
While the Samajik Samarasata Manch is working to spread the RSS influence among the Dalits, the Samata Parishad is concentrating on Buddhists. They propagate that political parties had only exploited them for securing power and made false promises. The Dalits would not be able to play their rightful role in the country's affairs if they did not become self- reliant. Their methodology includes reverence for Dr. Ambedkar and stress on nationalist and conciliatory aspects of his philosophy.
Both the outfits' cadres have mixed representation - upper and lower castes. Over 100 activists descended on the village to organise the Dhamma Parishad. Mr. Girkar urged members of other castes to participate by taking up the responsibility of feeding over 1,000 participants, mostly Dalits. ``The catering services were managed by our fishermen brothers and accommodation was taken care of by a farming community,'' he said underscoring the point that the whole idea was to prevent isolation of Buddhists in the village. The BVM activists participate in similar events of other communities.
Bhadant N. Anandji Mahathero of Sri Lanka, who inaugurated the convention, during his address was a bit sceptical about the need to review the constitution but no other speaker joined issue with him - neither Kugchek Rafsil Lama of Tibet or Bhadant Vijay Bodhi of London or Bhadant Kushkarshi Lama of Arunachal Pradesh among the 16 monks. They confined themselves to the teachings of Lord Buddha and present-day society. Among the lay participants were Dr. S. P. Gaikwad, chairman of People's Education Society, Mumbai, founded by Dr. Ambedkar and Mr. Bhikuji Idate, executive president of the SSM and general secretary of the State RSS who belongs to a nomadic tribe. With the role of religion in nation-building as his theme, he praised Buddhism and Lord Buddha but avoided all contentious matters.
The Sangh Parivar activists say the Manch is an all- India entity though it is an informal body. Virtually headed by the RSS veteran, Mr. Dattopant Thengdi, it publishes literature on Dr. Ambedkar's nationalist views and why he embraced Buddhism though he received strong feelers from Christian and Muslim bodies. It subtly suggests that Buddhism is very close to Hinduism if not actually a part. The RSS has even included Dr. Ambedkar's name in its morning hymns.
The Manch through its affiliates does not forget to point out that whatever the relations between the RPI and the Congress(I) today, the fact is that the latter always hampered the growth of Dalit leaders in its fold. It did not even support the candidature of Dr. Ambedkar from Mumbai but fielded a candidate to ensure the great leader's defeat. The BVM while building the Vihar campaigned against alcoholism among the villagers. The direct impact was better economic conditions and freedom from the clutches of money-lenders. The BVM, which began the campaign for the Vihar with a loan of Rs. 2,000 from a money-lender now has Rs. two lakhs in its kitty. It is used for educational and welfare measures, said Mr. Girkar.
Analysts believe the
factionalism within the RPI and its leaders' pre-occupation with Congress(I)-sponsored
programmes such as opposing the Constitution's review have left the field
open for the Samarasata Manch. The approach is too sophisticated for the
RPI leaders who do not go beyond rhetoric. Recently, Prof. Jogendra Kawade,
former MP, called the constitutional review ``cultural terrorism of the
RSS''.
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