‘RIFT IN ABAP NOT NEW, HOPE TO STAND UNITED AGAIN’
PRAYAGRAJ : With representatives of seven akharas attending the meeting called by Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad (ABAP) general secretary Mahant Hari Giri here on Monday, the split in the powerful apex decision-making body of the 13 akharas of the country has become evident.
However, this is not the first time that ABAP, which was formed in 1954, has witnessed a split as its past is also dogged by such divisions, claim senior seers.
“In the past too, rift in the ABAP happened many times, including in 1974, 1984, 1998 and 2010. We had differences of opinion but we managed to settle all issues and again managed to stand united. I am confident that this would happen in 2021 also,” said ABAP general secretary Mahant Hari Giri.
Trouble had been brewing among the monastic orders for the past quite many years but it peaked during the Haridwar Kumbh when three akharas boycotted the ABAP on the issue of land allotment for setting up of camps during the mega religious fair, they share.
These three “Ani” akharas had also not attended the “Shodashi” or the 16th day post-death ritual of Mahant Narendra Giri held on October 5. These three akharas are of the “Bairagi sect” namely Nirvani, Digambhar and Nirmohi.
On October 15, ABAP general secretary Mahant Hari Giri announced that a meeting of the parishad would be held on October 25 at Prayagraj to elect the new ABAP president. However, another meeting was held at Haridwar on October 20 which was attended by seven akharas: Nirmohi, Nirvani, Digamber, Mahanirvani, Atal, Bada Udasin and Nirmal. This, seers say, was the biggest and stark split among the monastic orders in recent years.
Newly elected ABAP president Mahant Ravindra Puri said it would be his priority to settle the differences between different monastic orders and unite all saints for Prayagraj Kumbh2025.
Jitendra Sarin
PRAYAGRAJ: Defending the anticonversion law, the Uttar Pradesh government in its affidavit before the Allahabad High Court, has stated that since the marriages are being used as an instrument to convert an individual’s religion against his/her will, therefore, the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021’ seeks to remedy this malady.
Following the direction of the high court, the UP government has filed the affidavit before the court, which is hearing a bunch of public interest litigation (PIL) challenging the act.
The Allahabad High Court had directed the UP government to file an affidavit in response to these petitions.
While stressing that the community interest will always prevail over the individual interest, the UP government added that the law seeks to protect the public interest and maintain public order, and safeguard the interest of the community.
“When there is fear psychosis spread in the community at large and the community itself is endangered and succumbs to the pressure resulting in forceful conversion, under the said circumstances, it becomes necessary that the interest of the community as a whole requires protection and no microanalysis of individual interest can be looked into,” the affidavit further added.
“Even though a Hindu woman wishes not to give up her faith but she will have to give up her faith in order to enter into a valid marriage and accept Islam. This will amount to forceful conversion. The position remains the same if a Hindu boy wants to marry a Muslim girl. Hindu boy will have to accept Islam,” the state government said in the affidavit.