Leftists condemn ‘Vijayadashami’; celebrate ‘Mahishasur shahadat diwas’
Vijay Kumar
The Leftists are more dangerous than anyone else in destroying our culture. The Naxal connection in this is evident - the 'students' organizations who are all with a naxal background, the areas where these 'celebrations' are conducted are also entirely from the areas of naxal influence.
These vicious elements, hell-bent on destroying our nation, should be weeded out at the earliest.
Vijay
http://en.newsbharati.com//Encyc/2013/10/15/Leftists-condemn-Vijayadashami-celebrate-Mahishasur-shahadat-diwas-.aspx?NB=&lang=1
Leftists condemn ‘Vijayadashami’; celebrate ‘Mahishasur shahadat diwas’
New Delhi, October 15 : In an effort to pursue divisive agenda of ‘Buffalo Nationalism’, the leftists have now resorted to observing ‘Mahishasur shahadat diwas’ instead of ‘Vijayadashami’. This is the third year when the day would be celebrated here at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), as many other places in the tribal belt of Jharkhand along with some places in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh too will be observing this day, if news reports are to be believed.
All India Backward Student’s Forum (AIBSF) a radical leftist students group has announced that they plan to observe ‘Mhishasur martyrdom day’ or ‘Mahishasur shahadat diwas’ on 17 October.
The origin of the concept of ‘Mhishasur martyrdom day’ can be traced back to an October 2011 cover story of ‘Forward Press’, written by Premkumar Mani, questioning the dalits as to whom they are worshiping. The article, in a myth busting pose, proclaimed ‘Mahishasur’ as a dalit king who was killed by Durga in a deceitful way.
Jitendra Yadav, President of AIBSF says, ‘‘As followers of ‘Anti-Matawadis’, two years back we started program to remember Mahishasur’s killing, who was a Dravidian hero to a few aboriginal tribes in India. This is an attempt to emancipate subalterns from the grasp of Brahminical culture. India is a land of myriad cultures. But a particular group forced its own version of culture and religion on us. It was against this homogenisation that we started observing the Mahishasur Martyrdom Day. Last year, we put up 35 to 40 big posters across JNU campus, highlighting that Asurs, who are considered to be demons in Indian mythology, are still a tribe in Jharkhand. Students from Lucknow University and Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Bihar, too had joined last year. To celebrate the third anniversary this year we have completed all preparations.’
Gaurav Jha of the intellectual’s cell of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parshad (ABVP) tries to underplay the program in JNU by terming them as ‘a political and publicity stunt by radical left wingers’ and says that ‘this is fast becoming a ritual for them. They are a group of handful students who gather under different ultra left sounding names like ‘AIBSW’ or ‘New Materialists’ or ‘Concerned Students’ etc.’
“Last year there were elections on our campus. So, they displayed posters denigrating Hindu gods. We registered complaints against them. The JNU administration too initiated action. The cases are still pending against them. This year too we have registered our protest. We also organized Durga Pooja. Students participated in the celebrations in huge numbers,” Jha added.
‘This year, Mahishasura Shahadat day will be celebrated in 60 places around the country including may places in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand.’ Says Arun Kumar, National coordinator of AIBSF. ‘Mahishasur was the ancestor for tribals, dalits and other backward communities in the country, who was killed by Aryans with the help of the goddess. We want to launch a campaign against Dussehra, claiming that it amounts to celebrating our ancestors’ death.’ He adds.
A news story published in Monday’s ‘The Indian Express’, says – “Tribals, backwards seek own voices in Durga Puja this year”. The story reads - “The nine days of Durga Puja have never been a time of celebration for the Kherwal tribes but that of mourning. Only this time, there is greater awareness amongst our people about the story of Mahishasur and Durga,” Ajit Prasad Hembram, a tribal activist organising the Mahishasur Martyrdom Day in Purulia district of West Bengal, said over the phone. “Similar ceremonies are being organised in at least 20 different places in West Bengal this year, including Malda, Bankura and Hooghly.” As per Hembram and Ashwini Kumar Pankaj, a tribal activist and editor of Johar Disum Khabar, a multi-lingual journal published from Ranchi, Mahishasur (also known as Hudhud Durga) was a clan leader of tribals in the Santhal region, who put up a strong fight against Aryan invasion. According to Hembram, as tribals did not pick up weapons against women, children, aged and the weak, the Aryans sent a woman to lure him. “The Aryans came with a proposal of marriage. But they used treachery and a woman called Durga killed Mahishasur,” said Hembram. A similar story is narrated by Pankaj: “There is a tradition among the Santhals wherein during the Navratras, they hold what is called the Dasain dance. During that dance, tribals visit houses and search for something. That something is nothing but Hudhud Durga.” Celebrating the Mahishasur Martyrdom Day on Sunday, tribals in Puruliya danced the Dasain and Kathi dance and presented their story of Hudhud Durga through a play, apart from organising meetings and telling people about Mahishasur, said Hembram. He added that Asur or Rakshas as presented in the Vedas and Puranas were none other than natives who fought the Aryans to protect their land. “There is still a tribe called Asur amongst the Kherwals. So they are living people who are shown as devils and killed symbolically every year at Durga Puja,” said Hembram. Dr Vijay Kumar Trisharan, president of the Ambedkar Chetna Parisar, Palamu, Jharkhand, will organise the Mahishasur Martyrdom Day on Monday in his district.
In Giridih district of Jharkhand, people are observing the Mahishasur Martyrdom Day by tying black clothes on their faces and narrating the story of the just king door to door, said Damodar Gop of Giridih.
Like the tribals, the Yadavs also claim to be descendants of Mahishasur. One view is that the name Mahishasur is derived from ‘Mahish’, meaning buffalo, the main source of sustenance for both the Yadavs and tribals. Yadav will organise the Mahishasur Martyrdom Day in Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh. It will also be celebrated in Kaushambi, Deoria, Sant Kabir Nagar, Unnao and Maharajganj districts of the state.
Bihar will also see such celebrations in Patna, Nawada, Muzaffarpur and Buxar. In Muzaffarpur, the celebrations will also include an idol of Mahishasur. Harendra Prasad, who is organising the meeting in Minapur, Muzaffarpur, claims to be a descendant of Mahishasur and said he will soon get a marble statue of Mahishasur erected. In Orissa, Kalahandi district will hold the Mahishasur Diwas, said Narayan Bagarty, a social activist.
The last year’s programme at JNU included speeches by JNU professors, a discussion on the legend behind Mahishasur, followed by screening of a short film on ‘Myth of Durga’. This year, the program may see presence of Dalit-Bahujan activists like Kancha Ilaiah among others.
Pramod Kumar
Assistant Professor (SG), Cultural Education
Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham
Amrita Nagar PO
Ettimadai
COIMBATORE - 641 112 (T.N.)
Tel: 91-422-2685000; Ext: 5056
Webpage: http://engineering.amrita.edu/cb/depts/cultural-education/index.php
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Convenor, Dept of Human Excellence
Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Coimbatore Kendra
www.bvbcbe.in
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Trustee, International Forum for India's Heritage
www.ifih.org