UP: Seers call for establishing Sanatan Board at Dharm Sansad

Mahakumbh Nagar, Jan 27 (PTI) Seers representing various monastic orders and groups called for establishing a Sanatan Board at a 'Dharm Sansad' held amid the Maha Kumbh here on Monday.

Jagadguru Vidya Bhaskar Ji Maharaj urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to abolish the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, stating that the law was imposed without consultation to protect mosques built by demolishing Hindu temples.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi should use his majority in Parliament to dismantle the Places of Worship Act. The government at that time passed this law without any discussion and imposed it on the nation," he said.

He further asserted that the survival of all living beings depends on the preservation of Sanatan Dharma. "To protect 'sanatanis', establishing a Sanatan Board is the need of the hour," he added.

Nimbark Peethadheeshwar Shyam Sharan Devacharya, who chaired the Sanatan Dharma Sansad (Sanatan religious parliament), said the Sanatan Board would not only safeguard Sanatan Dharma but also ensure the security of future generations.

"The board is crucial to prevent outsiders from infiltrating temples like Tirupati Balaji and corrupting our faith. Once, nations like Iran, Afghanistan, Nepal, and Bhutan were culturally aligned with India. If we don't act, India, too, might slip out of Hindu hands," he added.

ISKCON leader Gaurang Das Ji Maharaj highlighted the need for a unified body for 'sanatanis'. "If organisations like CII and FICCI exist for industries and the IMA for medicine, why can't we have a similar body to protect and unite 'sanatanis'?" He emphasised that peace, security and justice require all 'sanatanis' to unite under the banner of the Sanatan Board.

Preacher Devkinandan Thakur linked the decline of Sanatan culture to Macaulay's educational policies, which replaced Indian traditions with the English language. He warned of a conspiracy to take over India through the Waqf Board.

"Lands vacated by those who left for Pakistan are under the Waqf Board's control. But what happened to the land of Hindus who came to India? Why is there no Hindu Board in Pakistan?" Thakur questioned why the Waqf Board exists in India when similar boards don't exist in Pakistan or Bangladesh. He claimed that temples like Tirupati Balaji contribute Rs 500 crore annually to the government, which should instead fund initiatives for the Sanatan Dharma.

"If the Sanatan Board is formed, every temple will have its own gaushala, gurukul, and hospital, and all donations will remain within Sanatan Dharma," he stated.

The Sanatan Dharma Sansad saw the participation of several saints and religious leaders, including Chinmayanand Bapu from Haridwar, Mahamandaleshwar Ashutosh Nand Maharaj, Raghavacharya Ji Maharaj, Jain saint Vivek Muni Ji Maharaj, Hanuman Garhi's Mahant Raju Das, and Vallabhacharya Ji Maharaj from Ayodhya -- all of whom expressed their support for establishing the Sanatan Board. PTI