Buddhist delegations to tribal processions — an RSS Sanatan ‘sangam’ at Kumbh Mela

In February, for the first time, the Kumbh saw the participation of 600 Buddhists, both devotees and monks, who also took a dip in the Sangam. This was dubbed the Baudh Maha Kumbh Yatra and was organised by different organisations in collaboration with the RSS- affiliated Dharma Sanskriti Sangam. On February 4, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath addressed one such Buddhist delegation and said that Hindus and Buddhists were “branches of the same tree”.

Calling for unity of the two religions, he said: “Yadi yeh ek hi manch par aa jayen to duniya mein sabse shaktishali vatvriksha banege (If the two religions get together on the same platform, we can have the most powerful tree in the world).”

On the final day of the Baudh Maha Kumbh Yatra held on February 5, addressed by Juna Akhara Mahamandaleshwar Swami Awadheshanand Giri, three main resolutions were passed — protesting alleged atrocities on minorities in Bangladesh and Pakistan, seeking autonomy of Tibet, and the unity of “Sanatan Dharma and Buddhism”.

People take a holy dip at Triveni Sangam in Prayagraj during the ongoing Maha Kumbh Mela. (Express Photo by Vishal Srivastav)

“We carried out the Baudh Maha Kumbh Yatra and held discussions after. It was a historic occasion for us as over 600 Buddhist devotees from across the state and the world participated in these events at the Kumbh. The message was about Sanatan-Buddhist unity,” said Arun Singh Baudh, the Eastern UP president of the Dharma Sanskriti Sangam.

Meanwhile, a Jan Jati Maha Kumbh for tribals and a Yuva Kumbh for tribal youth were organised by groups associated with the Akhil Bharatiya Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram, an RSS-linked organisation working with tribals. Those involved in the logistics of these programmes said over “10,000” members of the tribal community were at the Kumbh this year.

A Yuva Kumbh organised by the Akhil Bharatiya Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram on February 6 and 7 was addressed by Swami Avadheshanand Giri of the Juna Akahara and was attended by Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Durgadas Uike. Sources said that Uike interacted with youth at the event and cautioned them about “anti-social forces” working against tribals.

On February 7, tribals from across the country — Nagaland, Mizoram, Andaman, Kerala, Himachal Pradesh — donned their traditional attires, participated in a procession towards the Sangam with saffron flags in hand, and took a dip in the Ganga.

Then on February 10, the Akhilesh Bhartiya Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram organised a ‘Sant Samagam’ — an event for saints from the Scheduled Tribes (STs) community. This was addressed by RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosbale.

In his speech, made from a stage that featured photographs of tribal icons such as Birsa Munda, Hosbale stressed on the importance of “strengthening Sanatan culture”.

Alongside these, the VHP is also organising its programmes at the Kumbh. It held a three-day ‘national meeting’ starting February 7 and passed a resolution to start a ‘Mandir Mukti Andolan (Free temples movement)’ across the country.

Under the first phase, the VHP said its representatives would give memorandums to CMs across the country to “return Hindu temples to Hindu community”.

VHP sources said these memorandums could also include Scheduled Caste (SCs) as well as women in temple trusts.

Another RSS offshoot, the Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad, has set up a camp at the Kumbh and has so far organised camps for youth. It recently held a “global” discussion on the cultural importance of the Kumbh in Prayagraj.