Skip to main content

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

TRENDING

Defeat of martial law: Has the decisive moment for change come in South Korea?

By Steven Lee  Late at night on December 3, soldiers stormed into South Korea’s National Assembly in armored vehicles and combat helicopters. Assembly staff desperately blocked their assault with fire extinguishers and barricades. South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol had just declared martial law to “ eliminate ‘anti-state’ forces .”

70,000 migrants, sold on Canadian dream, face uncertain future: Canada reinvents the xenophobic wheel

By Saurav Sarkar*  Bikram Singh is running out of time on his post-study work visa in Canada. Singh is one of about 70,000 migrants who were sold on the Canadian dream of eventually making the country their home but now face an uncertain future with their work permits set to expire by December 2024. They came from places like India, China, and the Philippines, and sold their land and belongings in their home countries, took out loans, or made other enormous commitments to get themselves to Canada.

EVMs: Govt must prove beyond reasonable doubt it's upholding mandate for free, fair polls

By Jerald D’souza  With the growth of India’s population, concerns about electoral fraud associated with ballot papers, also began to escalate. In 1989, the People’s Representation Act was amended to enable EVMs to prevent electoral fraud. In 1998, EVMs made their debut during legislative assembly elections and for the first time for general elections in 2004. However, criticisms against the EVMs and questions about their integrity have been raised by political parties, civil society and the general population. On 2 February 2024, there was a noteworthy demonstration of dissent where numerous individuals, including Ambedkarite advocates, legal professionals, and other members of civil society  convened at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar demanding the prohibition of EVMs. In 2024, the Supreme court had slapped down a petition to return to paper ballots on the basis that machines give “absolutely accurate results” unless human bias maligns them. The court stated that it was open to testi...

This Indian British Marxist blamed USSR's collapse in 1991 on Khrushchev's 'revisionism'

By Harsh Thakor*  Harpal Singh Brar, British Indian Marxist scholar and communist leader, has passed away in Chandigarh. He was 85. He was a lifelong supporter of socialism, Marxism, and the working class. He will be remembered among British Communists.

Chalapathi's death in encounter suggests Maoists' inability to establish broader mass support

By Harsh Thakor* The Maoist movement experienced a significant loss during the Ramagudem encounter on January 21, with the death of Chalapathi (Pratap), a Central Committee member of the CPI (Maoist). His death, along with 15 others, marks a major setback for the movement. Reports suggest that his location was revealed to security forces through a selfie with his wife.

A groundbreaking non-violent approach: Maharishi’s invincible defense technology

By MajGen (R) Kulwant Singh, Col (R) SP Bakshi, Col (R) Jitendra Jung Karki, LtCol (R) Gunter Chassé & Dr David Leffler*  In today’s turbulent world, achieving lasting peace and ensuring national security are more urgent than ever. Traditional defense methods focus on advanced weapons, military strategies, and tactics, but a groundbreaking approach offers a new non-violent and holistic solution: Maharishi’s Invincible Defense Technology (IDT). 

Operation Kagar represents Indian state's intensified attempt to extinguish Maoism: Resistance continues

By Harsh Thakor Operation Kagar represents the Indian state's intensified attempt to extinguish Maoism, which claims to embody the struggles and aspirations of Adivasis. Criminalized by the state, the Maoists have been portrayed as a threat, with Operation Kagar deploying strategies that jeopardize their activities. This operation weaves together economic, cultural, and political motives, allegedly with drone attacks on Adivasi homes.

Why do we mostly resist and refrain from communicating on sanitation topic?

By Nikhil Kumar, Mansee Bal Bhargava* According to UN SDG Progress report (2022), at the present moment no targets for SDG 6 are expected to be met by 2030. In 2022, 2.2 billion people had no access to safe drinking water and 3.5 million lacked safe sanitation. Approximately 50% of the world’s population was reported to have been under resourced in enough water for part of the year and a quarter of that population was living under “extremely high” water stress. Add to it, droughts have affected over 1.4 billion people between 2002 and 2021.

CCG raises concerns over Indian State of Forest Report 2023 in open letter to environment minister

By A Representative  The Constitutional Conduct Group (CCG), a collective of former civil servants, has expressed serious concerns over the Indian State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2023 in an open letter to the Union Minister for Environment, Forests & Climate Change. The group has criticized the report's delayed release, flawed methodology, and misleading claims regarding the state of India's forests.

अल्पसंख्यक कार्य मंत्रालय का बजट निराशाजनक: 19.3% अल्पसंख्यकों के लिए मात्र 0.0661% ठोस आवंटन

- मुजाहिद नफ़ीस*   1-2-2025 को भारत सरकार द्वारा संसद में वर्ष 2025-26 का बजट वित्त मंत्री निर्मला सीतारमण जी ने पेश किया| इस वर्ष का बजट 5065345 करोड़ है जो कि पिछले साल के संशोधित अनुमान से लगभग 7.39% की बढ़ोतरी हुई है| वहीं अल्पसंख्यक कार्य मंत्रालय का बजट मात्र 3350.00 करोड़ है जो कि कुल बजट का 0.0661% लगभग है|  पिछले साल 2024-25 में 3183.24 करोड़ था|