Written by: Express News Service
2 min readAhmedabadJan 10, 2012 04:20 AM IST
First published on: Jan 10, 2012 at 04:20 AM IST
With its chief patron Aseemanand in jail,the Shabri Seva Samiti,which organised the controversial Shabri Kumbh Mela for the first time in tribal-dominated Dangs in 2006,has dropped its plan to organise a second Kumbh Mela this year.
Instead,the outfit has decided to turn the low-key annual Shabri Mela into a grand one till 2017 and plans to hold its second Shabari Kumbh Mela in 2018.
“Since Swami Aseemanand is not around and lots of our members were changed in November 2011,we couldn’t prepare for the proposed Kumbh Mela. In 2018,we will organise the second Kumbh Mela for sure,” said Kishore Gavit,a member of the Samiti.
The 2006 Kumbh Mela,in which BJP chief ministers and various leaders from RSS and VHP participated,was in spotlight for its communal approach. The Mela was the brainchild of Aseemanand,who was latter arrested for alleged role in bomb blasts at Mecca Masjid and Malegaon.
Gavit said that January 13 and 14 this year,25,000-30,000 people,mainly from surrounding tribal districts,will take part in the event. He said around 2000 people from neighbouring Nandurbar district in Maharashtra will come to Subir (Shabridham),the place where,it is believed,Ram and Laxman met Shabri.
Dangs district collector P K Solanki said there was no tension in the area because of the event. He said a meeting of peace committee comprising Hindus and Christians was held recently and it was decided not to make the event communal.
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