When lights and camera make sadhus act

This protest near Parliament was the VHP’s way of saying surprise, surprise, we’re here. But Hindutva’s votaries, who showed ...

This protest near Parliament was the VHP’s way of saying surprise, surprise, we’re here. But Hindutva’s votaries, who showed up from the dharma sansad in hues ranging from saffron to yellow to white, surprised Delhi more by the manner in which they they behaved.

For most part of the day, they networked over cellphones, pausing to take long Bisleri swigs or hard pulls at the chillum. Others ran around with cameras, clicking furiously the heart of Delhi. Bells, shankhs, bugles, damroos brought up the background score, drowned only by the chants of Jai Shri Ram.

Not once were the sadhus told to get to Parliament for the gherao but there was enough talk about ‘‘awakening the Hindu within’’ and ‘‘awakening the Hindus around oneself’’ to keep people in business.

Story continues below this ad


VARIOUS POSITIONS: The sadhus striking poses before photographers near Parliament. Ravi Batra

When loose wires disrupted the proceedings briefly, aged sadhus jumped out of the baithak to fix the bhopuwallah (mikeman). One who had travelled all the way from Guwahati couldn’t check himself: ‘‘Kya free mein lagaya hai, jo kaam nahin kar raha. Theekh karo. Sunnein aayein hain. (Was this system installed for free that it doesn’t work? Fix it. We are here to listen to the leaders.)’’ The connection was promptly fixed.

Ears glued to cellphones, sadhus constantly chatted with counterparts in distant towns, finalising plans and tours for tomorrow and the day after. Details of how the dharma sansad was going on found easy transport through airtime and the sadhus at Parliament Street used the facility liberally to convey sentiments.

In fact, Acharya Dharmendra even chided the media for mocking at sadhus using cellphones: ‘‘You only want the English-minded to make use of technology. Why should sadhus not be using this facility when the greatest of inventions, including your aircraft, were first discovered by the sadhus themselves?’’

Then there were the camera-savvy sadhus who knew the difference between the firang and the Indian press. From posing for the foreign photojournalists to taking time off to speak to them, these sadhus knew it all. The maximum attention, needless to say, was reserved for those carrying trishuls and chillums and willing to pose for the shutterbugs.

Story continues below this ad

In between ear-piercing calls of Jai Shri Ram, sadhus stared at the sun, looked straight into the camera lens and even branded trishuls to oblige for the once-in-a-lifetime photo-op.

There was, of course, another category of sadhus who walked around with banners, badges and sashes. Younger than the average sadhu at the dharna, these were the denim-clad young brigade who flashed cellphones on their waist and wore sashes that announced the arrival of Ram Rajya.

While most religious leaders only tried to evoke the crowds to be a ‘‘better and true Hindu’’ and pledge that they would ‘‘rest only once the temple is built,’’ Swami Khandeshwarananda clearly had VHP chief Ashok Singhal worried when he asked the crowd to ‘‘beat up Christian priests.’’

Singhal interrupted the popular Swami Khandeshwarananda: ‘‘We do not agree with whatever you are saying.’’ The swami went into a sulk, wound up his speech with a Jai Shri Ram and walked off in a huff. The meeting ended with a recitation of Hanuman Chalisa, first by the leaders and then by the crowd, an oath for temple construction and more chants of Jai Shri Ram.