Pejawar Swami visits dalit colony to ‘knit’ harmony
Ensure visit isn’t mere symbolism, take all your followers on visit to slums: Forum
The Devaraj Urs colony slum near Visveswaranagar had an unusual visitor on Friday - the seer of the Pejawar Mutt, Vishwesha Theertha Swami.
The streets were adorned with rangolis and sported flower decoration, and the residents of the slum wore their best, to welcome the seer, who visited the colony as part of his social initiative.
The seer visited the house of a sweeper (pourakarmika) Kuppuswamy and inquired about the well-being of the family. He lit an oil lamp in the small corner of the tiled house which served as a pooja corner. The seet also lit a lamp in the house of Subramani.
The seer addressed a meeting at the Pattaaladamma temple premises in the locality, wherein he called for equality among all Hindus, inlcuding Dalits, and said his visit was aimed at knitting harmony between all classes of people in society.
“I fast as a mark of protest whenever I hear about an atrocity against a dalit in the State,” he said. He listened to the grievances of the pourakarmikas. During the interaction, the pourakarmika leaders appealed him to visit all the slums and pourakarmika colonies in city.
They also wanted to him to use his clout to influence upon the elected leaders and officials to construct a marriage hall in each of the colonies.
N Mara, president of Zilla Pourakarmikara Sangha told Deccan Herald that he and people of his community were happy with the visit of the seer. The Pejawar seer is in city as part of the 72nd Chaturmasya.
‘Vaishnava deeksha’ offered to dalits
Pejawar mutt seer Viswesha Theertha Swamiji on Friday said he would offer ‘Vaishnava Deeksha’ (initiation into Vaishnava way of life) to dalits so that they didn’t convert themselves into other religions.
The seer who visited Devaraj Urs colony, a pourakarmika slum here, said the high rate of religious conversions to other religions among dalits was a ‘dangerous’ trend. There was also a conspiracy against the Hindus to split the religion, he claimed and added that the society should shun using the word Dalit.
“For years, you have all offered pooja to Hindu Gods. The community is no less to any other Hindus. You must continue to follow the rituals, mass prayers and holding pooja rituals to come out of inferiority complex,” the seer advised.
He visited the three houses of pourakarmikas in the locality and lit oil lamps before gods and goddesses offering symbolic support and backing to dalits and pourakarmikas.
