Nashik Diary

Moreover, Awari Guruji said, warming to his theme, a Hindu bride tips over with her foot a vessel full of foodgrains when she enters her new home for the first time. Her broom-worshipping tribal counterpart does not.

And so on.

It was only when he saw the dignitaries on the dais getting increasingly fidgety that he realised what he was doing. And switched to a safer subject, namely Lord Hanuman, and how the converted tribals were “inflicting insults on Hindu gods.”

Greetings, Hindu Style

Awari Guruji wasn’t the only one to lose sight of the agenda for the meet.

Deoram Gaikwad probably thought you couldn’t go wrong with a New Year greeting for a speech opening.

But the audience thought not.

Enthused by the presence of the Shankaracharya of Karveer Peeth on the dais, the gathering collectively booed the speaker, some of them actually deigned to remind Gaikwad that the new year which began on January 1 had nothing to do with the Hindu calendar. The Hindu new year began on Gudi Padva day, they raged.

Gaikwad had no choice but to apologise and withdraw his greeting; so what if it was well-meant? And after a pause, began afresh by congratulating those who had reconverted to Hinduism. The audience cheered at what they evidently believed was a triumph for the Hindu cause.

Seeing Saffron

With the attack on Christian tribals and their church in Kayre Sadadpada village near Peth about three months ago, the saffron brigade has gained a significant foothold in the region and is exploiting it to the hilt.

After the aforementioned Hindu Sammelan, a reporter and a photographer from a national news weekly visited the village, took some pictures and spoke to some villagers. On their way back, they got in touch with the Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram activists to hear their side of the story. One of the activists of the Ashram — a Hindutva outfit running ashram schools in tribal areas — Yogesh Shinde, told the journalists that he already knew that they had visited the village and reprimanded them for “daring to visit the village” without permission from his organisation.

Well, the village wasn’t the Ashram’s property, the journos informed Shinde.

Only to be told, “Himmat asel tar bhetayala yaa” (If you’ve got the courage, then come and meet me).

His attitude naturally put the scribes off. They left without getting the saffron version of the story.

All For Darshan

When Sonia Gandhi visited the Dangs last week, she made a brief halt at the Ozar airport to switch planes. Reason enough for local Congressmen to make a beeline for the tarmac to exchange pleasantries and offer bouquets.

One of the dignitaries waiting for her at the airport was Malegaon Congress MP Zamru Manglu Kahandole who had also got his son along for `Sonia darshan‘.

The MP had a special security pass issued by the police to get past the security cordon. His son obviously didn’t.

Nevertheless, the MP managed to barge in, son in tow, using his influence with the local police.

But the Special Protection Group guarding the Congress president, as we know, is in a league of its own.

Thus when the pair tried to push through, the MP was let in while his son was held back.

A furious Kahandole couldn’t take it.

“He is my son, mister. Don’t question him. I am an MP!” he yelled. The officials were not convinced. The MP then flashed his credentials and also provided his name for the guards’ benefit. One of the officials had trouble getting the name right, which infuriated the MP further. “Z for Zebra, understood?” he hollered. They did. However, Junior was staying out, he was told firmly.

Kahandole could do little except go for darshan and nurse his bruised ego later. For such are the ways of Madam.