Indian Express, November 20 2010
Shock grips Aseemanand’s followers at his Dangs base
The arrest of Swami Aseemanand has come as a shock to his followers in Sabridham that he set up after he came to the tribal district of the Dangs in 1996. Most of them found it hard to believe he could be involved in terror strikes. Routine activities at Sabri Mata temple, however, continued on Friday.
Aseemanand had gone underground soon since his name figured in the so-called Hindutva terror ring after the arrest of Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur by the Mumbai ATS more than two years ago. Both Rajasthan and Mumbai ATS have been on his trail in the Dangs but failed to get any leads from the locals in the Dangs, mostly tribals among whom he commands a large following.
Swami was one of the trustees of Sabri Mata Sewa Samithi Trust formed for building a temple at Subir village in the Dangs. A veteran BJP leader from Navsari, Jayenti Kewat, had helped him in building the temple by collecting funds from businessmen in Surat and Navsari. Aseemanand also played a key role in organising the Sabri Kumbh fair at Subir village in 2006, which many said was a re-conversion exercise.
Kewat was president of the Trust from 2006 to 2009. Later, when Aseemanand’s name figured in connection with the Malegaon blast, he went underground and the entire body was dissolved.
A new body was formed comprising Aseemanand’s close associates including Vijay Patel, the BJP MLA from the Dangs, Nirmala Kishor Gamit, Ramni Puwar, Phoolchand Kokni, Kalu Gayekwad and a few others.
At present, the president of the Trust is Swami Jagdev Ramji of Chhattisgarh, who is also president of All India Vanwasi Kalyan Ashram.
“Swami came to Dangs in 1996 and had stayed in Kangadiamal village. He created a good image among tribals and even learnt Dangi language. He was truly a religious man. He had brought back many tribals to the Hindu fold after they were converted into Christianity,” said Nirmala Kishor Gavit, one of the trustees.
“We have worked with Swamiji for long and roamed with him in villages for years. He is a pious man and worked for the uplift of tribals,” he said.
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