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Journalism of Courage
Located on the outer bounds of the Ajanta Hills of the Western Ghats, the idyllic Godri village in Jalgaon district of Maharashtra has sprung to life over the past week, with up to 10 lakh visitors from various states — mostly Banjara tribals representing the Gaur, Naikda and Labana sub-groups — pouring in, along with several thousand saffron-clad swayamsevaks and periodically, VVIPs in convoys.
The village is hosting a ‘Banjara Mahakumbh’ between January 25 and January 30. If the name presents an aura of past history, it’s because that is precisely what it is meant to do. This is the first-ever such event organised by the RSS-BJP, and many see it as part of an orchestrated move to woo the nomadic Banjara groups and bring them under the larger Hindu umbrella. The unstated stated agenda is checking “the conversion drive” targeting the Banjaras by Christian groups.
Says a senior RSS functionary, “We’re relentlessly working to stop the large-scale conversion of the Banjaras by Christian missionaries across the country. RSS and allied organisations have convened this Mahakumbh to effectively counter religious conversion.”
Senior RSS member Suresh ‘Bhaiyyaji’ Joshi, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis are taking part in the event, whose venue falls in the constituency of Rural Development Minister Girish Mahajan. Around 3,000 members have been deployed to plan and execute the summit.
Among those questioning the Sangh Parivar push is Haribhau Rathod, a Banjara leader and former BJP MP who recently joined the Aam Aadmi Party. Denying any large-scale conversion bids in Maharashtra, Rathod says: “This is false propaganda. There may have been some cases in Andhra and Telangana, but it’s certainly not an issue in Maharashtra.”
Rathod adds that the Banjaras have always identified themselves as Hindus, notwithstanding their distinct cultural identity. “If they (the Sangh) are so concerned about the Banjaras’ Hindu identity (as they say), what have they done for their socio-economic and educational upliftment?”
A Congress leader from Yavatmal, Devanand Pawar, claims that Banjara leaders have “serious reservations” about the BJP thrusting its Hindutva agenda on them, referring to alleged attempt to undermine the importance of the tribe’s pilgrimage site of Pohradevi in Washim, to create a new one in Jalgaon district. “The Pohradevi pilgrimage in Washim is sacrosanct for the community. It is their only pilgrimage centre. Some within the community feel that by creating an alternative pilgrimage site in Jalgaon, the RSS-BJP is taking away its importance,” Pawar says.
With a population of about a crore in Maharashtra, the Banjara community is still largely confined to its tandas (colonies). Banjaras also have a sizeable presence in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab and Delhi, adding up to an estimated 15 crore in all.
The BJP has been making a push for the Banjara vote across states. Last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi distributed land title deeds to community members in Karnataka, where they are categorised under SCs. He ceremonially handed over hakku patras to five Lambani Banjara families at an event organised by the state revenue department in Kalaburagi district, with 50,000 families promised similar land deed gifts. The Congress attacked the PM for taking credit though the land titles were part of an ongoing process carried out by local MLAs.
In Telangana, the BJP’s OBC Morcha held a series of public meetings at Banjara tandas last month. In neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, the party held a Backward Class conclave at Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada to consolidate the state’s Banjaras.
The party’s workers have been reaching out to Banjara tanda chiefs, who exercise control over the local community. Besides, the party has been holding corner meetings and public rallies to highlight the Banjara’s history and rich culture.
In Maharashtra, the Banjara vote bank is believed to play a decisive role in five Lok Sabha seats — Jalgaon, Yavatmal-Washim, Hingoli, Latur and Dindori — and as many as 44 of the state’s 288 Assembly seats.
The community, which is categorised under Vimukta Jati Nomadic Tribe (VJNT), enjoys 3% reservation in government jobs and educational institutions in Maharashtra. For the last two decades, they have been demanding reservation under the ST category, which has an 8% quota and larger benefits.
A senior BJP minister, requesting anonymity questions those criticising the Banjara conclave. “To expand our electoral base, we are connecting to segments who are not with us. Religious conversion is a fact. Our ideological mentor, the RSS, is fighting tooth and nail in the interest of Hindus.”
The organisers also claim the event is not restricted to any political party or organisation, and that the protest is not from within the community, but by political leaders representing the Congress and the NCP.
