ADHYATMA JAGRAN MANCH

Building up on the momentum created through the Jaipur and Alwar meetings, Adhyatma Jagran Manch carried its message of communal harmony into Rajasthan's famed Sun City on the 26th of May, 2003. Unlike the two previous meetings, this programme was slotted in the afternoon, taking into account the convenience of those who would be working during the daytime.

The public meeting was preceded by a well-organized and successful press conference where the print and electronic media were present in sizeable strength. Swami Agnivesh, Nirmala Deshpande and Rev. Valson Thampu addressed the press conference lasting over an hour and a half, covering the various aspects of the current political scenario with a special focus on the attempts by VHP and Bajrang Dal to spread communal hate in Rajasthan and other adjoining states for electoral gains.

The afternoon programme began with a massive public rally starting from Maharshi Dayanand Smriti Bhawan featuring nearly 4 thousand people and about 110 vehicles. The rally, shouting appropriate slogans, went through the heart of Jodhpur city at its most crowded hour and had a gripping impact. What added to the electrifying atmosphere was the fact that it began to rain lightly as the rally was in progress. And the crowd kept chanting almost ecstatically, "Trishul nahin, jal dhara denge". At one point along the route, the communal harmony rally was met by a small BJP contingent (numbering around 20) shouting slogans to the effect that they will build Ram temple and similar sentiments. Overawed by the size and spirit of the rally, they soon relapsed into silence and were deservedly forgotten thereafter.

The rally culminated in a public meeting at the Ghanta Ghar (Clock tower grounds). Thousands listened to the various speakers in rapt attention. The mild shower during the rally intensified into a substantial rain as the meeting began. Nirmala Deshpande, who spoke first, hailed the rains as a sign of divine blessing on the people of Rajasthan. She exhorted the people to rise above all divisive ideologies and to pursue the Gandhian path of communal unity and compassion for all people. Quoting from the scriptures of various religions, she argued persuasively that all religions are the same at their spiritual core. This theme was reinforced by Rev. Valson Thampu who spoke after her. He emphasized that the purpose of religion and politics is to maximize people's welfare and to bring about the empowerment of the poor and the downtrodden. Fighting against forces of evil and injustice is a spiritual duty. The foremost weapon that democracy gives is our vote. We must use our votes as our legitimate weapons to defeat communal and oppressive forces. Speaking explicitly on VHP's tirshul distribution programme, he pointed out that to give trishul instead of water to a people dying of thirst is to make a mockery of their thirst.

Speaking at length on communalism, to the audience rapt in attention, Swami Agnivesh took the audience through the basics of Vedic spirituality. He went on to lament, in this light, the attempt on the part of the VHP to degrade religion for cheap political gains. Citing historical and literary authority, he argued that there is no indication anywhere either in Tulsidas, a profound Ram bhakt, or in Guru Govind Singh, or in Shivaji or in Swami Dayanand Saraswati or in Swami Vivekanand that Ram's temple was destroyed by anyone to build a mosque in Ayodhya. Swami Agnivesh then went to appreciate the noble response of Mrs. Sonia Gandhi in recommending that the lady who was convicted in the murder of Shri. Rajiv Gandhi should be pardoned for the sake of her child. Such a spiritually inspired response is unprecedented in our political history. It is similar to the response of Swami Dayanand who gave Rs. 500 to the cook who poisoned him and asked him to escape the wrath of the Rajah, and to the compassion of Christ who prayed for those who were crucifying him. Swami Agnivesh congratulated Shri. Ashok Gehlot for the good work he has done, especially in organizing drought relief and other development-related programmes. He endorsed the Chief Minister's bold step in arresting Togadia who was trying to bring the infamy of Gujarat into Rajasthan. The people of Rajasthan take pride in their culture of tolerance and harmony. They appreciate the steps taken by Shri. Gehlot to prevent repeating Gujarat in Rajasthan. Modi's Gujart massacre, as both Vajpayee and Advnai confessed, is a shame for the country as a whole; and any threat to repeat it in Rajasthan is an insult to the people of Rajasthan. He urged the people to defeat and rout communal forces through the forthcoming elections.

A host of local leaders including Shri Satyavrat Samvedi, Conveinor AJM, Rajasthan, Mr. Majid, Ghauri, Mayor of Jodhpur, Shri Jagvir Singh of Arya Samaj & Shri Rajendra Singh Solanki, Chairman - Jodhpur Urban Development Trust spoke on the occasion. The people sat in a disciplined way and listened, despite the downpour, right through the meeting which came to a close by 9 pm. They participated in the meeting by cheering and shouting appropriate slogans.

The success of the programme owes a great deal to the active support extended by Shri Ram Singh Arya, Co-convenor AJM (Raj.) and his band of very dedicated cadre of Arya Veer Dal.

The feedback from the local organizers is extremely positive. They were united in their opinion that the rally has sent a powerful message to the people of Jodhpur and that the speeches in particular are the most effective antidote to the misinformation campaign of the Sangh Parivar.

- Swami Agnivesh

- Nirmala Deshpande

- Rev. Valson Thampu