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New Delhi, 22nd April '08

 

A dharna was held on Jantar Mantar Road, on behalf of Vaidic Virakt Mandal, a supreme body of Arya Sanyasies on 22^nd April, 2008 from 10 AM to 1 PM. People from all over India participated in the dharna. The background is mentioned in detail below:

A petition has been filed by two muslim petitioners in Delhi's Tees Hazari Court seeking a ban in perpetuity on Maharishi Dayanand's revolutionary Magnum Opus – Satyartha Prakash – banning its printing, publishing and distribution etc.

Sarvadeshik Arya Pratinidhi Sabha through its President, 3/5 Maharishi Dayanand Bhavan, Ramlila Maidan, New Delhi, has been made the first defendant along with six others. It is very unfortunate that some muslim clerics including Shahi Imam of Fatehpuri Masjid, Mohammed Mukarram Ahmad, have issued ‘fatwa’ against ‘Satyartha Prakash’ without realizing the implications and consequences.

While no stone will be left unturned to win this historic legal battle,we are glad to see that there is an upsurge of solidarity and closing of ranks not just among the learned in Arya Samaj but also cutting across religious affiliations. Sanatan Dharma Acharya Goswami Sushil ji Maharaj and Christian intellectual Rev. Valson Thampu and a scholar of Islam, Shri Anjum Rashid, Bhai Daya Singh *    and a host of others and each one of them has promised his fullest solidarity. The most heartening response was from one of the most renowned Islamic scholars, Maulana Wahiduddin Khan who has agreed to stand by us against banning of Satyartha Prakash or for that matter any other such book.

We are sure in the coming days and weeks this trickle of support and solidarity will become a torrent. We are tempted to see this petition as a God-sent opportunity for the global movement of Arya Samaj to reinvigorate itself for upholding The Light of Truth which inculcates rationality and scientific temper. We are seriously considering to order publication of a minimum of one hundred thousand (1,00,000) copies of Satyartha Prakash – Light of Truth and sell it at subsidized rates (funds permitting) for the whole world to celebrate The Glory of Truth and glory to Maharishi Dayanand !

This also gives us a golden opportunity to reassert the fundamental human right of Freedom of Expression. And in this respect, we should draw comfort form the fact that an earlier attempt by some fundamentalists to seek a similar ban on Satyarth Prakash in the erstwhile Hyderabad-Sindh was completely frustrated. The precedence is something we can be proud of. We also need to take all precautions to not let this debate around this case take any communal or violent turn and no one should be allowed to hijack it for any narrow political gain. That will be in line with the purely non-sectarian and non-communal approach of Swami Dayanand himself.

Plan of Action:

The plan consists of a two pronged strategy; first - utilizing the services of the best legal minds to defend ‘Satyarth Prakash’ vigorously in the Civil Court and second - to take the issue to the peoples’ court for a healthy debate.

Arya Samaj, as a whole, has resolved to champion the freedom of expression and truth as envisioned in Maharishi Dayanand’s book, the Light of Truth. We oppose the banning of any book including the Quran. All religious leaders from all faiths are pained with the this new development that is sure to vitiate the already charged communal atmosphere of the country. We need restraint and not any provocation like this frivolous “fatwa” to ban this 125 years old book that has inspired many a generation of seekers after truth.

We appeal all right thinking people from every faith to come forward and register their protest at all rungs of society against this diabolic attempt to throttle freedom of expression and create communal disharmony. This awareness campaign will culminate in a grand march of Vaidic Religious Scholars that will start from Udaipur in Rajasthan on 17^th May ‘08 and reach Tees Hazari Courts on the first day of hearing on 21^st May ’08. Lovers of truth and freedom must unite NOW !  

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