The Central government on Sunday (February 26) kick-started the year-long commemoration of the 284th birth anniversary of Sant Sevalal Maharaj, a spiritual and religious leader of the Banjara community. Union Home Minister Amit Shah led the celebrations on Monday in New Delhi and was joined by Union Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture Meenakshi Lekhi. The announcement has come just months ahead of the Karnataka Assembly elections, where the Banjaras are a politically crucial group. Previously, on January 19, Prime Minister Narendra Modi “symbolically distributed" Hakku Patra (land title deeds) to five families of the Banjara community in the Kalaburagi district of Karnataka, The Indian Express earlier reported. Who was Sant Sevalal Maharaj? Sant Sevalal Maharaj was born on February 15, 1739, at Surgondankoppa in Karnataka’s Shivamogga district. It’s believed that while he was young, he miraculously prepared sheera (a sweet) out of the mud and wheat puri to offer to Goddess Jagadamba — making him a divine personality in the eyes of his followers. According to a statement released by the Central government, Sant Sevalal dedicated his life to serving tribal forest dwellers and nomadic tribes. He worked tirelessly to dispel and eradicate myths and superstitions prevalent in the tribal communities, including the Banjaras, and brought about reforms in their way of life. Sant Sevalal Maharaj is believed to have mastery in Ayurveda and Naturopathy. Many also believe that once he moved to Hyderabad, he cured cholera in the city and was allowed to graze his cattle in the present-day Banjara Hills area. Sant Sevalal died at the age of 33 in Maharashtra. Today, he is revered as a spiritual guru and social reformer by the Banjara community, which has mainly settled in parts of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. “Sant Sevalal Maharaj is a revered symbol of every Banjara family and in all these states, the birth anniversary of Sant Sevalal Maharaj ji is celebrated with great fanfare in the month of February,” the government statement said. It also added that his shrine is situated in Manora Taluka of Washim District of Maharashtra at Pohradevi, also known as Banjara Kashi. How the BJP is trying to woo the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in Karnataka Apart from wooing the Banjaras, who are included in the Scheduled Castes category, the BJP in Karnataka is trying to gain the support of other SC/ST communities, which together make up nearly 24 per cent of the state population. For instance, the party in October 2022 declared a two per cent increase in reservations for Scheduled Castes in government jobs and education institutes, taking the reservations for the group from 15 to 17 per cent. The Indian Express has then reported, “The efforts to woo and consolidate the support of the SC/ST community are seen as part of efforts by the BJP to compensate for a possible division of its Lingayat caste support base in Karnataka and to prevent SC/ST groups from drifting to the Congress – which has traditionally enjoyed the backing of Other Backward Classes, the SC/STs, and minorities.”
