VHP Central Margdarshak Mandal convention at Haridwar calls for strengthening Family Institution; Law against conversions; Law for UCC; Liberation of Temples from control of governments.
Haridwar, June 11-12, 2022 – A two-day convention of the Central Margdarshak Mandal of Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) took place at Nishkaam Seva Sadan, Bhupatwala, Haridwar. The first session of the convention was presided over by HH Pejavar Swami Shrimad Jagadguru Madhvacharya Swami Vishwaprapanna Teertha Ji Maharaj and conducted by Shri Ashok Tiwari, Central Secretary of VHP. VHP Central Secretary General Shri Milind Parande made the initial remarks to open the convention and also placed before the participating leading figures of the Sant fraternity of Bharat the annual report of activities and achievements of Vishva Hindu Parishad.
In the first session of the convention, HH Junapeethadhishwar Acharya Mahamandaleshwar Swami Avdheshanand Giri Maharaj presented his views on the topic of “Kutumb Prabodhan” (“Family Awakening / Enlightenment''). The revered Dharmacharyas (canonists) and Sant-Mahatmas, including HH Swami Chidananda Muni, HH Dr. Rameshwar Prasad, HH Swami Vivekanand, HH M.M. Swami Harichetnand, HH Swami Shakti Shantananda from Kerala, HH Gyanananda Ji Maharaj, highlighted the essentiality of Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the country and called for the UCC law. They also alarmed all against illegal horizontal religious conversions going on uninterrupted in the country and demanded an exacting and stringent law against it. The Sant fraternity present in the session expressed its ire and indignation and said that the governments should not take over ‘temples’. A strong-will was expressed that the government control and occupation of temples should end. For this, it was also resolved to run a public awareness campaign.
Presiding over the second session of the Kendriya Marg-Darshak Mandal (KMDM), HH Jagadguru Shankaracharya Swami Vasudevanand Saraswati Ji Maharaj said that this meeting of Vishva Hindu Parishad is a churning of thoughts of the Sant Samaj, from which the nectar of inspirations and initiatives will emerge, which will send a meaningful message to the whole world. Expressing fury over the burning problems of the country, he said that this is a well-planned conspiracy of the Vidharmis (desert religionists), against which the central government should make an effective law. Expressing concern over the present situation in Punjab, HH Krishnanandji Maharaj said that Punjab is on the verge of repeating the horrific period of terrorism of 1984; there is a need to follow the teachings of the Sikh Gurus. HH Sangram Ji Maharaj of Madhya Pradesh said that the extent and scope of Hindu spiritual texts is higher than the Himalayas and deeper than the seas.
The KMDM convention comprising of the leading figures of the Sant fraternity of the country thanked the Uttarakhand government for its commitment to implement the UCC in the state of Uttarakhand; the convention offered best wishes to the country on the auspicious occasion of “Hindu Samrajya Divas” and called for imbibing the spirit and character of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
After deliberating deeply on the current situation of the country and considering the following four subjects as of vital importance to the cause of national unity and territorial integrity of the country, these resolutions were passed unanimously:–
1. There is a need to work to strengthen the Institution of Family – the basic unit of the society and country – and in order to achieve that there is a need to awaken and further strengthen among people the sense of belonging to family, society and Maa Bhaarati. The first and foremost task to be undertaken is to mould the individual’s mind. S/He should be made to feel that s/he is responsible for shaping the destiny of the nation and that the joys and sorrows of the nation are his/her own joys and sorrows.
2. An exacting and stringent law should be made to immediately stop the illegal horizontal religious conversions going on in the country.
3. On the basis of wide consultations and consensus, Uniform Civil Code (UCC) should be made and thoroughly implemented in the country.
4. All Mutt-Mandirs (monasteries and temples) of the country should be liberated from control of governments.
Participants in this national-level sant convention were leading Dharmacharyas, including 178 sant-mahatmas and 34 Sadhvis, viz., Nirmal Peethadheeshwar HH Shri Mahant Gyandev Singh, Niranjan Peethadheeshwar HH Swami Kailashanand Giri, HH Yug Purush Swami Parmanand Ji Maharaj, HH Shri Mahant Ravindrapuri Maharaj, HH M.M. Swami Premanand, HH Mahamandaleshwar Swami Janardan Hari Maharaj (Maharashtra), HH Swami Lalitanand, HH Mahant Ramakrishna Das, HH M.M. Swami Jitendradas (Kanpur), HH Swami Nijanand (Gujarat), HH Swami Ramdas (Himachal), HH Swami Atmanand Puri (Gujarat), HH Swami Chidambaranand, HH Acharya Mahamandaleshwar Vishokanand Bharati, HH Swami Shyamanand (Chandigarh), HH Mahant Gyananand Maharaj, HH Sadhvi Prachi, HH M.M. Rupendraprakash Maharaj, HH Swami Parmanand Saraswati (Odisha).
The KMDM convention was conducted by the VHP Central Secretary Shri Ashok Tiwari. S/Ma. Shri Dinesh Chandra (VHP Patron), Champat Rai (VHP Central Vice-President and Secretary General of Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra, Ayodhya), Vinayakrao Deshpande (VHP Central Organizing General Secretary), Milind Parande (VHP Central Secretary General), Om Prakash Singhal (VHP Central Vice-President), Dharmanarayan Sharma (VHP Central Secretary), Rajendra Singh Pankaj (VHP CS), Ras Bihari (VHP CS), VHP CS and VHP Uttarakhand Prant President Ravidev Anand welcomed all eminent guests. Uttarakhand Prant Organizing Secretary Shri Ajay Kumar, Kshetra Seva Pramukh Shri Bharat Gagan Agarwal, Prant Coordinator-Bajrang Dal Shri Anuj Walia, Vibhag President Shri Balram Kapoor, District President Shri Nitin Gautam, District Secretary Shri Bhupendra Saini, District Vice-President Shri Prabhakar Kashyap, Shri Mayank Chauhan, Shri Amit Multania and others saw to it that the convention was well-organised and successful.
Issued by -
Prachar-Prasar Vibhag
Vishva Hindu Parishad, Uttarakhand