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Today is Swami Sahajanand Saraswati’s death anniversary. Swamiji started as a Sanskrit scholar, ascetic, social reformer, educationist, freedom fighter & ended up as a radical peasant leader & one of the founders of the Kisan Sabha in India 1/n
It is a pity that most people either do not know Swamiji or see him as a parochial leader of Bhumihars. His legacy is misused to justify feudal oppression. Swamiji broke ranks with the Bhumihar Mahasabha on the question of anti colonialism & peasant rights 2/n
The quest for welfare of poor farmers, of all castes and religious persuasions led Swamiji to part ways with the Congress and Gandhiji too. In his autobiography he accused the Bihar Congress of suppressing his reports on poverty and exploitation of peasants by zamindars 3/n
Swamiji also talks about constant bickering among the leftists, which eventually disillusioned him from left politics too. He never abandoned the cause though. He was the biggest protector of farmer interests when a sugar mill was set up at Bihta, where his ashram was located 4/n
His autobiography talks about helping farmers get better prices for their sugarcane, and helping their candidate win the local elections. I also have a personal connection with Swamiji. Bihta is my mother’s ancestral place & my Nana knew him as a kid 5/n
It was he who told me about Swamiji while sitting at Sitaram Ashram, Bihta. He was actually left at the ashram after getting typhoid. family of course had given up all hope of him surviving the disease. He told me how vested interests were actually scared of Swamiji 6/n
This is sth Swamiji talks about in his autobiography. He never needed big money to run his ventures, including the Ashram & Sanskrit school, which was started to end Brahmin monopoly on religious rituals. Farmers took care of these needs. He himself, needed very little. 7/n
It is a pity Swamiji’s has been usurped by worst kind of feudal degenerates in Bihar today. At a time when India’s farmers are facing such a crisis, swamiji’s radical vision ought to be popularised once again. But then, most political parties are ill suited to do the job 8/n
Pol parties today want historical figures who confirm 100% to their ideological requirements. Most inspiring leaders won’t. Swamiji was a radical peasant leader, yet a devout practising Hindu. He like most ppl of his time also practiced untouchability in eating practices 9/n
@IGuruPrakash has a nice piece on this syndrome today. He of course approaches this from a right leaning view, but his larger point is valid.
We need to stop stereotyping historical leaders in sectarian roles.
Babasaheb wasn’t just a leader of Dalits,Swamiji not of Bhumihars 10/n
We need to stop stereotyping historical leaders in sectarian roles.
Babasaheb wasn’t just a leader of Dalits,Swamiji not of Bhumihars 10/n
If anything, the Right in India has been better at appropriating leaders it differs with. Gandhiji is the biggest example. The Leftists have been the worst. From Swamiji to Rahul Sankritayayan, India’s left has let go of too many indigenous champions of progressive values n/n
