HVK Archives: Now, VHP plans mandir in Pokhran
Now, VHP plans mandir in Pokhran - The Pioneer
Ashutosh Mishra
()
May 18, 1998
Title: Now, VHP plans mandir in Pokhran
Author: Ashutosh Mishra
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: May 18, 1998
Hindu Sadhus and religious leaders, in a bid to 'immortalise' the
recent nuclear tests at Pokhran, are planning to set up a hakti
peeth (seat of divine power) near the blasts' site.
Vishwa Hindu Parishad working president Ashok Singhal said on
Sunday that the idea had emanated from the sadhus, and once the
exact location for the peeth was decided, holy water would be
brought from various shakti kendras in the country for the
consecration ceremony.
The name of the new peeth would be decided by the sadhus, the VHP
leader said.
Asserting that the peeth would symbolise the resurgence of India
as a powerful nation, Mr Singhal said it was significant that the
detonations coincided with Buddha Purnima. as Buddhism along with
Hinduism was. among the few non-aggressive religions in the
world.
"India intends to be powerful in the interest of world peace, in
keeping with the preachings of Lord Buddha," he quipped, adding
that there could be no peace without power. "Look at the Hindu
deities, they all bear weapons in their hands," he remarked.
Mr Singhal hinted at the likelihood of the peeth being set up in
the vicinity of one of the temples in the Pokhran area and said
religious fairs would be, organised at the place on the Buddha
Purnima day.
The VHP leader said that the stone-carving work for the Ram
Temple at Ayodhya was in progress both in the temple town and
Rajasthan and it might take the workers another two years to get
ready for the consecration (pran pratistha) of the shrine.
Mr Singhal lambasted the militant and separatist movements going
on in various, parts of the country alleging that they were being
inspired and sponsored by Muslim and Christian fundamentalists,
acting at the behest of the ISI and CIA. They constitute a
serious threat to the sovereignty of the country and the State
Governments which fail to curb them ought to be dismissed, he
averred.
Lashing out at the alleged conversion spree of the Christian
missionaries in Orissa, Mr Singhal cautioned the people against
what he described as 'Christian terrorism'.
He said the ISI and CIA had joined hands in India just as the
Christian and Muslim fundamentalists were working in tandem in
this part of the world.
Coming down heavily on the Tamil Nadu Government for failing to
put a leash on the anti-national elements operating in the State,
the VHP working president alleged that Chief Minister M
Karunanidhi was aware of the recent plan hatches by the
terrorists to kill Home Minister L K Advani.
Asked whether he would demand dismissal of the Tamil Nadu
Government, Mr Singhal said he was in favour of getting rid of
all such governments which were incapable of keeping the law and
order situation under control.
However he dismissed AIADMK chief Jayalalitha's complaints
against the State Government, saying that the women was power
hungry.
Mr Singhal announced that the VHP had decided to enroll 10,000
volunteers to resist the onslaught of the Christian missionaries
who were out on a 'conversion spree'.
The VHP's campaign, he said, would pay special attention to
Orissa where the conversions were taking place on a 'large
scale'. The leader also called upon the Orissa Government to from
a 'cow protection force' by recruiting people from voluntary
organisations wherever necessary.
Mr Singhal also made a impassioned plea for granting autonomy to
the shrines and monasteries in Orissa to run their own affairs.
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