Referring to the concocted dispute in 2016 when a 400 year old tradition alive at the Shani Shingapur mandir in a village in the Shani Shingapur is a village in the Nevasa Taluka in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra. The controversy had erupted in 2016 after efforts were made to “purge” the practice of women offering prayers here and in other temples. This controversy too began after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government came to power for the first time in Maharashtra.

Phadtare, a well known mystic of the Varkari tradition reminder Maharashtrians how the same Brahmanical, discriminatory political forces had tried to stop a four centuries old tradition of women offering arti (prayers) there. Real or true Varkaris would never obstruct women but welcome them inside the spiritual fold, added Phadtare.

Sharply condemning efforts sponsored by the RSS-BJP led regime through Tushar Bhosale to appropriate an inclusive, people’s tradition like the Varkari tradition and attempt to refashion it in a narrow discriminatory shape, Phadtare challenged these politico-religious moves. The statement was issued through the Vidrohi Sanskritic Chalval.

Pointing towards the humanism latent and throbbing in the Varkari tradition that harks back to the early medieval period in Maharashtra, he has reminded the public of the brazen attempts to appropriate the ‘pujari” role at Trimbakeshwar mandir using money, muscle and weapons and practices like shuddhikaran (purification) a notion that the Varkari tradition has revolted against. He also sombrely reminded Maharashtrians of the undignified fight between the impoised pujaris and the pujaris of the Varkari tradition.

When Tukaram was being celebrated and sung in Pune and rains and floods drenched the Varkari worshippers, was it Brahmins who gave shelter or the Masjid of the Muslims? Then who does Tuka belong to?

When Tuka steps out of Dehu, then first and foremost the arti that is performed at the Samadhi (grave) of Angadshah what do we make of this tradition? Within Pune (the height of the Brahmaniocal Peshwa revival) during the Varkari procession, the offering of khichdi is by a Sufi Muslim. This is the tolerant temper we have learnt from our Saints! SO then should we forget this tradition of singing together, living together, eating together?

Our Saints (the Varkari Saints) wee against  Brahmanism, they rejected karmakand (Brahmanical ritual), they rejected superstition, blind, cruel exclusive practices and cried out in their life times for a society that was equal, gave dignity for all, abhorred exploitation; they declared their vocal opposition top casteism, Brahmanism! You want to use and abuse Muslims and their vote but you cant tolerate the respect Muslims pay at Trimbakeshwar mandir? This is your move to use religious deivide to stay in power!

But we Saints of the Varkari tradition deplore this misuse of religion and ritual for power: you (of the Tushar Bhosale ilk) cannot be Varkari saints! Finally I want to say only this: purify your mind of such motives and thoughts that is real purification! Don’t attack people’s self and lives! The Ultimate Being belongs to all? Ramkrushna Hari!

“चर्म मांस भिन्न नाही।शुद्धा-शुद्ध निवडे कैसे।।

हा प्रश्न विचारत तुकोबारायांनी ईश्वराच्या विरोधात विद्रोह पुकारला,संत कबीर म्हणतात

“अरे!कद तुम्हें खून।कद मुझे दूध।। “

वारकरी संत शेख मोहंमद म्हणतात, “कैसे केले या गोपाळी।नाही सोवळी ओवळी।। काटे केतकीच्या झाडा।आत जन्मला केवडा।।फणसाअंगी काटे।आत अमृताचे साटे।। शेख मोहंमद अविंद। त्याचे हृदयी गोविंद।।“

त्याच संत शेख मोहंमदांनी एके ठिकाणी म्हंटलय, “आम्ही जातीचे ब्राम्हण। आमचे सोयरे मुसलमान।।“

Can u forget these wise words, Varkaris?

Related:

Tushar Bhosale aggressive face of Trimbakeshwar conflict, convener of BJP “spiritual wing”

Brahman Mahasangh responsible for hostile environment at Trimbakeshwar, Nashik, prosecute them demands Vidrohi Sanskrutik Chalwal, Maharashtra

SIT to probe Muslims offering respect from steps of Trimbakeshwar in Maharashtra ?

Maharashtra: 5 injured after 2 communities clash over Sambhaji Maharaj Jayanti procession, tensions simmer in Ahmednagar, Nashik

The post Political Power & narrow vision demonising Muslims, destroying harmony & defaming Varkari tradition says Sant Suhas Maharaj Phadtare: Trimbakeshwar row appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Creating a conflict where there was none, the Hindutva right wing protested vehemently against this (at least century old practice) of paying respect and tried to concoct a parallel narrative, using television anchors to refute local assertions (of both Adivasis and Muslims) that this has been a practice for decades. It was Tushar Bhosale who was among the first and most shrill in denigrating this syncretic practice and “blaming the Muslims for entering a temple”.

Bhosale, curiously is also convener of the Maharashtra BJP Adyatmik Samanvay Aghadi (Maharashtra BJP Spiritual Coordination Committee) and is the complainant on behalf of the trustees of the temple. This committee was constituted in 2016 when Devendra Fadnavis was the CM of Maharashtra. The committee has 42 members, and is tasked with coordinating between the party and the government on issues related to religious organisations and warkaris, the devotees of Lord Vitthal who undertake annual pilgrimage to the temple town of Pandharpur, reported The Indian Express.  The varkari is also an age-old casteless tradition that has also periodically seen manifestations of casteism, albeit in spurts.

Incidentally, it was the 2015 year of the Nashik Kumbh Mela (held every 12 years) that saw the first open manifestation of a dominant casteist manifestation. Observers of people’s culture state that this was the time that (with the BJP in power in the state for the first time) an open articulation of Brahmanism was visible.

Tushar Bhosale, himself a Brahmin, hails from a middle class family in Nashik and completed his education in Nashik and then further studies in Mumbai. He studied Advaita Vedanta from the Bharatiya Vidhya Bhawan, Mumbai and attended RSS shakhas in his school days, says the IE. He has of late received plentiful media coverage. At a recently held press conference, Bhosale even attacked the Udhav Thackeray Shiv Sena. He said (of Sanjay Raut), “Their claims are false. Even an ISI agent will be put to shame by what Sanjay Raut has done. He has gone against Hindus and he is siding with those who are against our religion. Is Sanjay Raut agent of jihadis?”

In a further aggravated attack on Raut, Bhosale said that Raut is “not the son of a Hindu”. Raut had claimed that the tradition of offering Urus is 100 years old. Infuriated by this claim, Bhosale warned that Raut should prove this claims, else Uddhav Thackeray will have to face the consequences.

In another instance, in one of his video lauding Fadnavis for setting up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) into the recent row, Bhosale said in Marathi, “he bhagwa sarkar aahe ithe hirvyanchi masti chalnar nahi. Uddhav Tahckeray sarkhe lechepeche lokanche sarkar nahi aahe (This is a saffron government, here the greens (muslims) will not be allowed to play around. This is not a government of weak people like Uddhav Thackeray.)

Previous Provocations by Bhosale

In May 2022, Bhosale had adversely commented on Sharad Pawar when he did not visit a temple in Pune. Pawar had publicly stated that he did not visit the temple because he had eaten non-vegetarian food. Bhosale however turned this into a controversy and questioned why did Pawar eat non-veg when he knew he was going to visit that temple.

“Sharad Pawar has no faith in Hindu gods and goddesses. So how can they go to the temple?, Maulana Sharad Pawar had Jumma yesterday, that’s why he refused to go to the temple citing non-veg food,” Bhosale offensively said (in Marathi). He further said, “Sharad Pawar is always going around throwing Iftar parties. But Pawar is allergic to going to Dagdusheth temple. No matter how many reasons he gives, Sharad Pawar is an atheist, the whole of Maharashtra knows this.”

Amidst the pandemic when the Uddhav Thackeray led government had closed down certain public places, temples were also shut. However, when it was time for the government to decide which places should be reopened for the public, Bhosale had warned the government that temples should be reopened as well else, “we will march on the streets”.

While speaking to Maharashtra Times on March 21, 2023 Bhosale spoke against Jitendra Awhad and said, “To appease Muslims and to get their votes, Jitendra Awhad is always talking against us (Hindus). He caresses the beards of these Mullas, he is a blemish to Maharashtra. I am telling Sharad  Pawar, please put a leash on this ‘Jituddin’ else the Hindu society will avenge this insult by him and Sharad Pawar will have to bear the consequences”.

Related:

Brahman Mahasangh responsible for hostile environment at Trimbakeshwar, Nashik, prosecute them demands Vidrohi Sanskrutik Chalwal, Maharashtra

SIT to probe Muslims offering respect from steps of Trimbakeshwar in Maharashtra ?

Maharashtra: 5 injured after 2 communities clash over Sambhaji Maharaj Jayanti procession, tensions simmer in Ahmednagar, Nashik

The post Tushar Bhosale aggressive face of Trimbakeshwar conflict, convener of BJP “spiritual wing” appeared first on SabrangIndia.