Saints roll out 10-point Sanatana agenda for 2024 polls

Varanasi (UP), Nov 5 (IANS) Five major organisations of Sanatana Hindu culture have asked all political parties to clarify their views regarding the aspirations of Sanatana Hindu before the general elections 2024.

This ‘Sanatana agenda’ has been drafted after extensive discussions with 1500 saints and Mahamandaleshwars and heads of 127 sects from across the country in the Sanskriti Sansad on the call of Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Akhil Bhartiya Sant Samiti, Akhil Bhartiya Akhara Parishad, Ganga Mahasabha and Sri Kashi Vidvat Parishad.

Addressing the joint Press conference at Rudraksh Convention Centre in Kashi on Sunday, Mahant Ravindra Puri, President, All India Akhara Parishad, Swami Jitendra Nand Saraswati, General Secretary, All India Sant Samiti, Alok Kumar, International Working President, Vishwa Hindu Parishad said that there should be no conspiracy to divide the society, hence a 10-point Hindu agenda was being declared.

The following are the 10 points laid out by the saints.

- By amending Article 30 of the Indian Constitution, every community in India should be given equal rights to establish and operate educational and cultural institutions. Every educational institution must have autonomy in formulating and running its curriculum.

- The Waqf Act 1995 should be repealed or the right of the Waqf Board to declare any property as Waqf property should be withdrawn. The property rights and procedures should be the same for all communities and the same for Muslims.

- Hindu temples should be returned to the Hindu society by making a federal law.

- By creating a separate Ministry of Pilgrimage from the Ministry of Tourism, pilgrimage sites should be developed keeping in mind the classical beliefs. This is necessary for the purity of the pilgrimage sites and protection of the environment there.

- Effective laws should be made to stop love jihad and illegal conversion. This is the essential need of this time. The biggest problem that has arisen with love jihad and the conversion taking place through it is violence. Thousands of cases have come to light in which Hindu daughters were converted and married and were murdered within a few days. Under no circumstances should marriage be allowed through conversion. It is essential to make an effective law to stop religious conversions only for the sake of marriage.

- Every citizen of India is equal. Uniform Civil Code should be implemented in the country. One nation, one citizenship, one law should be implemented.

- Converted people should be excluded from the scope of tribal reservation. Those who have converted or are converting for any reason cannot be kept under the ambit of reservation under any circumstances. This situation should be clarified. Laws should be made for this.

- Like other followers, temple priests should be given honorarium. It should be ensured that every priest appointed for puja, aarti and religious functions in every temple is given a respectable amount on time for his maintenance.

- The material difficulties of the saints should be resolved by forming a Saint Service Authority. The biggest responsibility of serving the nation rests on the saints. The saints are fulfilling the responsibility of keeping the nation and society united with India's culture, philosophy and spirituality. It is the responsibility of the state/nation to protect the saints, take care of them and fulfill their needs. For this, establishment of Sant Seva Authority at the central and state level is necessary.

The meeting asked all political parties of India should clarify their views on these points and it is after this that Hindu society will decide whom to support in the next general elections.