March 8, 1999
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SAAKAR Cutting Across Barriers Ram and Rahim are one, say worshippers in this obscure village. By Uday Mahurakr Om, om, om ... The soothing notes of the chant grow faint as the motley gathering sitting in front of the picture of Lord Lakulesh, the 28th incarnation of Shiva, at the Ram mandir breaks into a bhajan. Then the tempo picks up and heads begin to sway. Suddenly, one of the worshippers takes off on his own, his rendition reflecting the futility of materialism. The gathering waits for him to finish and the day's session ends with the chorus, "Ram Ram Shri Jai Jai Ram, Ishwar Allah Tero Naam".
Significantly, a large chunk of those present at the mandir have come straight after offering their noon namaz at the mosque, a few feet away. It's a calling they find compelled to honour. Ever since the Life Mission, a spiritual movement launched by Rajrishi Muni-a yogi from Maalav village in central Gujarat-reached Saakar village in the state's Surendranagar district four years ago, the Ram mandir has seen a steam of visitors. Unhindered by the recent religious tension, oblivious to the debate over Saraswati Vandana and Vande Mataram, the villagers, comprising mostly the Hindu Kolis and Muslims-there are 700 Muslims in a local population of over 2,000-throng the mandir each week, drawing sustenance from the Life Mission's philosophy. It's the philosophy of Sufism, the mystical doctrine that preaches the immanence of God. "Or Ekeshwarwad, the oneness of God," offers Imambhai Sama, a local Muslim farmer. "Ram and Rahim are one and the same." When Rajrishi Muni first visited Saakar as part of his efforts to set up village-level centres of the Life Mission, his discourse left the locals spellbound. While granting membership to Muslims who approached him, the ardent Lakulesh devotee insisted, "Continue to offer namaz regularly. What I am preaching is sanatana dharma, which is free and all-encompassing." The cardinal principles of the Life Mission, which has over 1,000 centres spread across not just Gujarat but also Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, are many. While one of them makes prayer mandatory for at least one hour a day, another entails putting aside a minimum of 10 per cent of one's savings every month or year for charitable work. That is perhaps what has enhanced the movement's social relevance. One of the followers, Balji Bhagat, a small trader in Baroda, spends Rs 500 a month on a "good" cause. One month he gives the money to an ngo looking after healthcare, another month to an orphanage and so on. Ajit Singh Gadhvi, principal of the Balasinor Government School, donates Rs 1,200 a month towards a Rs 2 crore hospital planned by the mission at the remote Jakhad village in Surendranagar district. Even ordinary workers religiously make contributions, which sometimes could be just Rs 20. But as one mission member points out, "It's not the amount that is donated that matters, it's how the Life Mission is changing people's attitudes in an age of greed." Children are repeatedly exhorted to respect their parents. Says Hasanbhai Sama: "The muni's stress on instilling the right values in children in the wake of western influence has left an indelible impression on our minds. Here is an honest attempt to counter modern-day materialism with spiritualism." But for all the movement's efforts at unity, there are times when communalism still raises its ugly head in Saakar. Tension gripped the village a couple of months ago when a group of Bajrang Dal workers went about distributing trishuls (tridents) to the villagers, delivering fiery speeches against the Muslims. "I cried when these things happened, I prayed to God to save the village from disharmony," says a pained Imambhai. "Even when the gods were performing yagnas, the demons were always there to disturb them," adds Nanjibhai Nagibhai Menia, an elderly Koli, trying to see reason. As in the myths, Menia and fellow-members of the Life Mission are banking on the eventual triumph of good over evil. |
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