Saffron does not suit Sankardev at all

Parbina Rashid

IN a nation where there seem to be more writers than readers, reports on book release functions go almost unnoticed. But not this one! The title of the book did not seem unusual, but the names of the organisers were. The venue was Delhi University and the event was to commemorate the 15th-century saint, Sankardev by reprinting the book Mahakavi Sankar Dev: Vicharak Evam Samaj Sudharak by the BJP-RSS combine. The BJP has a penchant for resurrecting religious gurus and social reformers for electoral gain. The function aimed at appropriating the scholar-reformer was attended among others by RSS joint secretary Krishna Gopal and a few BJP MPs from Assam.

The Sangh Parivar has appropriated icons left and right. It began with Mahatma Gandhi, who was persona non grata for the Sangh Parivar at one time but they use the  Mahatma's name.

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was born a Congressman and died as one. He was the Home Minister when the RSS was banned for the first time, after the assassination of Gandhi. Yet, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has earmarked hundreds of crores of rupees to build Patel's statue, which will be taller than the Statue of Liberty in New York. It cannot be a simple gesture of generosity! Swami Vivekananda was not parochial. He criticised the Hindu religion as much as Islam and Christianity but the Parivar has excised such anti-Hindu references from his works. Today he is their icon. The Swami, we can be pretty sure, would be turning in his grave over such misappropriation. Sri Narayana Guru was a great social reformer of Kerala. He belonged to the preponderant Ezhava caste which forms the backbone of the CPM. The BJP has, of late, been trying to cultivate the SNDP formed by the Guru to make inroads into the Ezhava community. The party’s aim is to open its “account” in the Kerala Assembly in the next year's election. Modi's efforts to reach out to Dalits in Kerala by taking part in the 152nd birth anniversary celebrations of Dalit icon Ayyankali is yet another example. All pointers lead to the fact that the BJP has found in Sankardev a mascot for the state that goes to polls early next year. It is possible to see this focus on Sankardev as part of a larger pattern. However, it is difficult to imagine this socio-religious reformer in a saffron robe! 

This revered icon is loved and respected as Khersuti's endearing grandson who swam across the Brahmaputra in full spate. According to folklore it is said that at the age of 12, he joined the tol (school) of Mahendra Kandali and wrote his first poem even before he was taught the complete alphabet and later blossomed into  a social and cultural reformer. Such a blessed man cannot have anything in common with the BJP ideology.

For one, Sankardev harboured no political ambitions. Born into a Shiromani (chief) Baro Bhuyan family, he was pressurised to take up the position of the chief of his community. He did that on a trial basis, but soon handed over the responsibility to his son-in-law Hari. He didn't need to govern people to thrust his spiritual beliefs. Sankardev, who started the Mahapuruxiya dharma, preached devotion to a single God (eka sarana)-Krishna, who can be worshipped solely by uttering His various names. 

A non-Brahmin, Sankardev started a system of initiation (saran lowa) into his religion. He caused a huge social revolution by fighting against casteism as he initiated people of all castes and religion, including Muslims. Sankardev was a rebel who fought against Saktism (a branch in Hinduism that believes in worshipping Shakti or Devi — the Hindu Divine Mother — as the absolute, ultimate God), prevalent in Assam those days. The movement initiated by him ushered in an era of socio-cultural renaissance in Assam which was humanist in content, with emphasis on ethnic integration, societal reforms and spiritual uplift. In other words, he stood for unification in the spiritual realm transcending all religious barriers — a concept which seems foreign to the Sangh Parivar and its offshoot, the BJP. Little wonder his bargeets (Bhakti songs) are sung by everyone in Assam, his Ankia Naat (one-act plays) are watched by people across religions, and the Satriya dance he initiated has gained the status of one of the classical dances of India. Not just that, even after centuries there would hardly be an Assamese, irrespective of his or her religion, who has not grown up reciting his poems or keep a copy of his magnum opus Kirtan Ghosha at home. To associate such an icon with a particular political sect is precisely what Sankardev fought against. 

Sankardev, who is hugely respected by people of all castes and creeds, does not need the BJP or any other political party to make Indians aware of his contributions to Assamese society at large. There are several cultural organisations which have been doing the needful. The Srimanta Foundation for Culture and Society, a charitable trust, is one such organisation that strives to bring about awareness and work towards the promotion of integration and harmonious cultural relations among diverse social groups. Let Sankardev remain in his white robe, an image we all are so accustomed to. After all, white reflects all the colours of the spectrum, while saffron is, well, just a shade.  

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