Communalism Watch: sanatan sanstha

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September 23, 2020

India: As long as the Hindu Right rules their gun weilding men will go scott free - '6 Acquitted in 2009 Goa blast case' [report in Hindustan Times, sept 19 2020]

The Hindustan Times Bombay HC upholds acquittal of 6 accused in 2009 Goa blast case All the accused were said to be related to a right-wing Hindu organisation, Sanatan Sanstha. india Updated: Sep 19, 2020 14:14 IST Gerard de Souza | Edited by Abhinav Sahay Hindustan Times, Panaji The Bombay high court at Goa has upheld the acquittal of the six persons charged with procuring, assembling and transporting a bomb to Margao in South Goa, where it prematurely exploded killing two persons who were allegedly ferrying it on the eve of Diwali in 2009. The two deceased -- Malgonda Patil and Yogesh Naik -- were allegedly carrying the bomb in their scooter with the intent to place it at a site where a Diwali eve competition was being held on October 16, 2009. Besides Patil and Naik, who died while ferrying the bomb, no one else was injured in the blast that took place behind Grace Church in Margao. Besides Patil and Naik, six others were charged by the NIA including Vinay Talekar, Dhananjay Ashtekar, Prashant Ashtekar, Vinayak Patil, Prashant Juvekar and Dilip Mazgaonkar, all hailing from Maharashtra and with connections to the Sanatan Sanstha. They were charged by the Goa Police crime branch. The case was later handed over to the National Investigation Agency. [ . . .] https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/bombay-hc-upholds-acquittal-of-6-accused-in-2009-goa-blast-case/story-bNKm7El2zWABx22VpmLu7K.html

May 27, 2019

The Sanstha makes orange a new black | Mumbai Mirror, Sep 27, 2015

The Sanstha makes orange a new black

Read more at:
https://mumbaimirror.indiatimes.com/others/sunday-read/the-sanstha-makes-orange-a-new-black/articleshow/49121120.cms

March 23, 2019

India: Does the Maharashtra Congress Candidate have links with Hinduyva outfit Sanatan Sanstha?

The Wire

Maharashtra Congress Nominates Candidate With 'Hindutva Links', Faces Backlash

While some have alleged Navinchandra Bandivadekar has links to the Sanatan Sanstha, the party has denied this.

https://thewire.in/politics/elections-2019-maharashtra-congress-sanatan-sanstha

November 24, 2018

India: Lankesh murder - Will consider banning right-wing groups says Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister

Lankesh murder: Will consider banning right-wing groups, says Karnataka Deputy CM

"A day after a Special Investigating team (SIT) of the Karnataka Police, probing the murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh, filed an additional chargesheet naming radical right-wing outfit Sanatan Sanstha, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara Saturday said the state government would soon take a call on banning the organisation."

October 16, 2018

India: Despite all the proof, why Sanatan Sanstha has been handled so mildly | Subhash Gatade

Daily O, 10-10-2018

Hard evidence, soft treatment: Despite all the proof, why Sanatan Sanstha has been handled so mildly

There is evidence of bomb blast plots, hit lists and assassinations. But has the group evaded strict anti-terror action because it claims to be 'Hindu'?

Subhash Gatade

What is common between dramatist, actor and public intellectual like Girish Karnad, Konkani novelist and short story writer Damodar Mauzo, rationalist and Kannada writer-translator KS Bhagwan and journalist Nikhil Wagle?

While they all come from different walks of life, on one plane, they share a strong commonality. All three of them — Karnad, Mauzo and even reportedly Wagle — are on the "hit list" of an organisation for their strong views against religious fundamentalism of every kind.
Public intellectuals on hit list of death squads? Sounds rather unbelievable.
As of now, the shock one has experienced with these revelations has sort of dissipated.
Not because the threat to their lives has disappeared, but because the reported organisation(s) — namely, the Sanatan Sanstha and its sister organisation the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti — have managed to continuously hog headlines for various controversial reasons.
Close on the heels of the exposures of the "hit lists", came the news that alleged activists (or sympathisers) of these organisations were involved in a plot to carry out blasts in Mumbai, Pune, Satara and Nalasopara, to disturb communal harmony. Bombs, gelatin sticks, around 30 detonators, 150 grams of a white powder wrapped in newspaper, etc., were reportedly recovered from the home of Vaibhav Raut based in Nalasopara, Mumbai, along with his other associates by Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS).

The assassination of journalist Gauri Lankesh raised very disturbing questions. (Photo: Indiatoday.in)

Remember, the investigation into the assassination of Gauri Lankesh by the Karnataka ATS — which has arrested around 14 alleged associates of these organisations — and their further probe prompted the Maharashtra ATS to investigate significant leads, which further led to the discovery of this terror module.
The recent exposé by India Today, where two sadhaks (seekers) of the Sanatan Sanstha, namely Mangesh Nikam and Haribhau Divekar — both of whom were in jail for their terror activities — had shared details of their alleged involvement in terror acts, seems to be the latest in a series. It also shows the political patronage received by the group, despite its violent activities, and throws light on how it apparently plans to usher in a "Hindu Rashtra" and build an army of "four lakh warriors".

The cameras found them. But justice hasn't caught up. (Photo: Indiatoday.in)

As expected, the Sanatan Sanstha has reportedly denied the claims by the two sadhaks, saying that the duo was lured into "making false statements" and secondly, these tapes have "no evidentiary value under the IT act".
Deepak Kesarkar, Minister of State for Home, Maharashtra, thinks otherwise — he has assured action as he has been provided "with new evidence" and "will inform the central government and take necessary action."
What can one expect from this talk of "necessary action"?
One definitely expects that the law of the land — which does not discriminate on the basis of faith, religion or any other ascriptive category — would be allowed to take its course.
A cursory glance at the lackadaisical approach of the governments in power in the state as well as the centre, evident over more than the last one decade, vis-à-vis the Sanstha and its sister organisation, does not inspire confidence.
It is clear that a lot of innocent blood could have been saved if the Maharashtra government — then led by the Congress-NCP combine and the centre, formed by a Congress-led combine — had seriously considered the recommendations of the then-ATS Chief Hemant Karkare (killed during the mayhem caused in the 26/11 terror attack). Karkare had asked for banning these organisations (2008), after investigations into the Panvel and the Thane blasts reportedly showed the likes of Mangesh Nikam and Haribhau Divekar had acted as foot-soldiers.

Then-ATS Chief Hemant Karkare had rung alarm bells over the groups. (Photo: Indiatoday.in)

Excerpts of an Indian Express report from 2008 make for a chilling read — these had explained the functioning of these organisations which "work like wheels within wheels" and mobilise Hindus on "a cocktail of Ramrajya, Hindu Dharma, and dharamkranti" or religious revolution. It also provided details of the-then newly launched outfit "Dharamshakti Sena", pictures of whose inaugural rally showed young men dressed in military fatigues.
The "Sena" was established in 16 districts of Maharashtra towns and cities on Gudi Padwa day in April 2008, the same year when its chief was reported to have delivered inflammatory speeches.
In a meeting held in Pune, he is quoted as saying: "Hindus are cornered from all sides, but there is no retaliation from them." In another meeting in Thane, he said, "The war in future will be a Dharamyudh and Dharamshakti Sena will be the guiding force."
Any impartial reading of these reports would have predicted the nature of violent activities in store for us.
The very next year, alleged activists of these organisations were found to be involved in another violent act which was more menacing than the bomb planting of 2008.
Two sadhaks of the organisation — Malgonda Patil and Yogesh Naik — were killed while reportedly carrying a bomb on their scooter (October 15, 2009) with the alleged aim of carrying it into the large gathering held on the occasion of the Narkasur festival.
One can just imagine how many innocents would have been killed if Malgonda Patil and his associate had been "successful" in implementing their reported plan.
It was later revealed that the Sanatan Sanstha has been campaigning against this tradition of building and burning Narkasuras at the time of Diwali. They say that making such huge effigies of the demon king is nothing but the glorification of evil.
Later, when the Sanatan Sanstha denied its association with these dead sadhaks, Dr Narendra Dabholkar had raised a very pertinent question in a public meeting in Panjim:
"... how is it that the Sanstha's activists so often take to the same kind of "wrong path" — and more pertinently, how is it that this unconvincing argument is accepted at face value and the Sanstha gets away without any action being taken against it as an institution ? It also defies belief that a few rogue activists of the Sanatan Sanstha, a tight knit, secretive organisation, independently carried out the blasts without the knowledge or involvement of any of the senior persons in the organisation."
One can go on providing details of the plethora of activities engaged in by these organisations.
It was an indication of the concern in the polity that in 2011, the Maharashtra ATS again prepared a detailed report on Sanatan's activities. The then-Chief Minister of Maharashtra Prithviraj Chavan recommended banning the outfit — but for unexplained reasons no action was taken.

He recommended a ban. But nothing happened. (Photo: Indiatoday.in)

As of now, the situation does not seem encouraging.
A report published by The Wire, focusing on the assassination of Gauri Lankesh underlined how, "Sanatan Sanstha and HJS were emboldened by political patronage facilitated by the BJP’s decisive victory in Goa," and have become "increasingly assertive." In 2012, it started the All Indian Hindu Convention “for establishment of Hindu Rashtra” which has become an "annual event".
It remains to be seen what happens next.
In a recent article titled "Who is Protecting the Sanatan Sanstha?", Nikhil Wagle had posed a question: "If government of India can ban SIMI or Zakir Naik's organisations, what stops them from banning Hindutva extremist groups? Does the organisation enjoy impunity because it is a Hindu group?"
The powers that be who claim to abide by the Constitution have to answer this question.

Also read: Despite its members confessing to their role in bomb blasts, how much more time will it take to ban Sanatan Sanstha

Writer

Subhash Gatade

The author is a writer, translator and activist. He’s written books like ‘Pahad Se Uncha Aadmi’, ‘Godse's Children’, ‘The Saffron Condition, ‘Beesavi Sadi Me Ambedkar ka Sawal’ and ‘Adhunikta ane Dalit’.

October 15, 2018

India: Sanatan Sanstha and Its Hindutva Designs | Sanghamitra Prabal

Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 53, Issue No. 41, 13 Oct, 2018 »

Sanatan Sanstha and Its Hindutva Designs

Sanghamitra Prabal (sanghmitraprabal[at]gmail.com) is a political commentator based in Mumbai.

The Sanatan Sanstha has always been ignored for being a small bunch of fanatics. However, the threat that it poses is highlighted once again after the arrests of a few of its followers and sympathisers in connection with a terror plot and possible involvement in the killing of rationalist Narendra Dabholkar. Even earlier, the members of Sanatan Sanstha were caught making bombs, openly advocating arms training, and waging war against the state. What more evidence does the centre need to ban the organisation?

The Sanatan Sanstha must be the only Hindu extremist organisation that preaches spirituality along with the stated aim of waging war against the state. It aims at establishing a Hindu rashtra or God’s Kingdom by 2025 for which elimination of all durjans (evildoers) is a precondition (Athavale and Athavale 2001: 25, 31). The Hindu rashtra will not have any place for the Buddhist, Jain, Shaiva, Vaishnava, Muslim and Christian communities. The Sanatan Sanstha has its own constitution ready with no provision for election, no democracy, no judiciary, and an education system promoting the Hindu religion (Athavale and Athavale 1999: 124, 145).
The Sanatan Sanstha came in the news again after arrests of few of its followers and sympathisers in connection with a terror plot and possible involvement in the killing of rationalist Narendra Dabholkar. Maharashtra anti-terrorism squad (ATS) has arrested seven people so far who are sympathisers of the Sanatan Sanstha. Vaibhav Raut, Sharad Kalaskar, and Sudhanva Gondhalekar were arrested on 10 August following the seizure of an arsenal of arms and ammunition at Raut’s bungalow in Nalasopara (NDTV 2018). The network of Hindutva terrorists did not stop with the Sanatan Sanstha alone. Shrikant Pangarkar, former Shiv Sena corporator from Jalna who has links with the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS) was arrested on 19 August based on confessions by Raut, Kalaskar and Gondhalekar. Avinash Pawar, another suspect who also has links with Hindutva groups, was arrested (Rajput 2018). Sachin Andure, who was arrested on 18 August on the charge of being the shooter in Dabholkar case, also has connections with Hindutva groups. These arrests were made after investigation into the killing of journalist Gauri Lankesh started to unravel the larger network of Hindutva groups like the Sanatan Sanstha and the HJS.
Two Sanatan Sanstha Sadhaks, Virendra Tawde and Samir Gaikwad, were arrested in 2016 in connection with the Dabholkar and Govind Pansare murder cases, respectively. Tawde, who is an ENT specialist, has been charged with planning the murder of Dabholkar, but Gaikwad was released on bail later. If we could recall, a few more incidents of terror activities are linked to the Hindutva organisations. A bomb explosion happened in Nanded in April 2006 at the house of a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) activist and a similar explosion took place in February 2007 in the same city which killed two (India Today 2008). In 2008, the Malegaon blast involving Sadhvi Pragya Singh and Shrikant Purohit took place. In the same year, theatres in Thane, Vashi and Panvel had low intensity blasts. Two of the perpetrators, Ramesh Gadkari and Vikram Bhave, were convicted and given 10 years of imprisonment by the court (DNA 2011). Recently Gadkari, who is out on bail, was conferred with “sainthood” by the Sanatan Sanstha (Sanatan Prabhat 2018). The Sanatan Sanstha was also linked to Margao blast in Goa that killed two of its own members in 2009 (Hindu 2009).
These early incidents were the signs of the silent emergence of Hindutva terror across the country. It appears that organisations like the Sanatan Sanstha not only supported the terror activities but also participated in them and funded them without any qualms. It is a sign of prevalent Hindu majoritarian common sense that the investigative agencies and the centre were hesitant to accept that the Hindutva organisations were involved in terror acts. This angle was largely ignored then. The Goa and Maharashtra governments had been making pleas to ban the Sanatan Sanstha since 2008 but the centre did not find “sufficient” grounds to do so (Hafeez 2016). It was a Congress-led union government that neither cracked down on such organisations nor inquired about their funding. The country then, by and large, was convinced with the narrative of “Islamic terror,” a term that was coined in the 1990s. For the large majority, the terror, bomb blasts and riots were only associated with Muslims. This singular obsession with “Islamic terror” has destroyed many lives of innocent Muslim youths and their families after being falsely implicated in terror acts. On the other hand, invisible protection from the state was a booster for the Sanatan Sanstha that aggressively started preaching its ideology and openly participating in debates on news channels. But slain Maharashtra ATS chief Hemant Karkare exposed the operations of Hindutva terror for the very first time in the investigation of the Malegaon blast which changed the entire narrative about terror activities in India.
^{Sanatan Sanstha Cult}
The Sanatan Sanstha and the HJS were established in 1995 against the backdrop of the demolition of Babri Masjid in Ayodhya by frenzied Hindutva mobs. A doctor and hypnotherapist by profession, Jayant Athavale, who established both the Sanatan Sanstha and the HJS, first started preaching a mix of pseudoscience, spirituality and religious mysticism. Athavale who is from Sion, Mumbai did research in hypnotherapy between 1971 and 1978 in England along with his wife Kunda. He practised as a clinical hypnotherapist at Sion during 1978–1990 before founding the Sanatan Sanstha. Ashutosh Prabhudesai, a psychiatrist from Goa, was said to have helped the couple to design and spread Sanstha’s spirituality theory. The organisation has its primary base in Goa, Maharashtra and Karnataka. After gaining confidence that their spiritual teachings have attracted enough followers, Athavale inculcated bellicose ideas of the Hindu rashtra among the followers. Though in the infant stage, the organisation started coaching self-defence and training in arms in 1999. The followers were told that the arms training was necessary to teach a lesson to evils in society. It is needless to say that this evil includes Muslims, Christians, and even the police and the army.
“Only five per cent battle will be at the physical level. Therefore it is necessary that five per cent Sadhaks should take arms training. God will provide the arms through somebody,” the Sanatan Sanstha preached them. It further encouraged them to use a gun. “It is okay to not have practised firing. The target will be correctly aimed if one fires bullet by chanting God’s name” (Athavale and Athavale 2001: 49). The organisation floated Dharmashakti Sena to teach self-defence to its followers. There are pictures available to prove how the followers, dressed in military uniform, were learning “self-defence.’’ Its mouthpiece Sanatan Prabhat on 16 August 2005 printed a photo of Athavale in a military uniform appealing followers that

the formation of a Hindu rashtra is inevitable to prevent India from getting divided into pieces in the hands of secular forces like Congress. (Sanatan Prabhat 2005)

On the other hand, the Sanatan Sanstha kept its “righteous” face intact to attract nondescript people from all sections, especially women. Despite its belief in Brahminical values and the Chaturvarnya system, the Sanatan Sanstha has managed a huge following from intermediate castes and Other Backward Classes. It has written a number of books on how men and women should wear clothes, how to wear ornaments, how to celebrate Hindu festivals, how to worship god, etc. The organisation has defined its own gods, as they believe that the present images and idols of Hindu gods are not appropriately designed. The images of gods created by the Sanatan Sanstha would fulfil the desires. These images were seen by their Sadhaks in dreams after achieving a particular spiritual level. The Sanstha has a solution for everything, from hairfall to sexual problems, which can be resolved with hypnotism. In the book Laingik Samasyanvar Swasammohan Upchar (Solution to Sexual Problems through Self-hypnotism), Athavale has claimed to have “cured” one person from impotency and another gay man was “converted” into a “straight” man (Athavale 2014: 17–41). The organisation entered into the households of common people to sell camphor, incense sticks and harmless religious literature. They definitely gained sympathy from the common people for being polite, humble and having no apparent nuisance value. In a country like India, any spiritual guru gets more number of followers, especially among women, than any political leader. The satsangs are a way for ordinary women to freely socialise with men in the society. The Sanatan Sanstha is no exception to this. It got many women followers who willingly agreed to stay in its ashram parting ways with families. They snapped all ties with parents and disappeared in the ashram never to return. A few such parents have come together and filed a public interest litigation in the Bombay High Court demanding a ban on the Sanatan Sanstha.
However, the cult did not lose its focus from the original aim of the Hindu rashtra. A book titled Love Jihad was published by the HJS in 2011. Along with the conspiracy theory of how Muslim youth lure Hindu girls into marriages, convert them to Islam forcefully and make them “baby producing machines,” the book has produced a “rate card,” claiming that Muslim boys are getting paid to marry Hindu girls. The cash reward differs on the basis of caste and region, for example, a Muslim youth marrying a Sikh girl is paid the highest amount (₹ 7 lakh), followed by Punjabi and Gujarati girls (₹ 6 lakh), Brahmin girl (₹ 5 lakh), Kshatriya girl (₹ 4.50 lakh), Gujarati Kachhi, Jain, Marwadi girls (₹ 3 lakh), backward and Scheduled Castes girls (₹ 2 lakh) and the lowest rate (₹ 1.50 lakh) for a Buddhist girl (Shinde and Gauda 2011: 9).
In Sanatan Prabhat, dated 9 June 2013, one Charudatta Pingle of the HJS has given a road map of the Hindu rashtra. The report says,

Police are biased towards Hindus and forgive crimes of Muslims. Do not forget atrocities committed by the police against Hinutvawadis. Prepare a list of those policemen from now. The first action would be against them during the revolution. We will not be able to form the Hindu Rashtra without defeating the police and army.

It has further said that the Sanatan Sanstha should create its own army of four lakh Sadhaks trained in arms as well as sadhana or jaap. The organisation is confident that it can fight 30 lakh soldiers, police and paramilitary forces (Sanatan Prabhat 2013: 3).
Differences with the RSS
Arguably the extremist organisations like the Sanatan Sanstha have emerged after being disillusioned with the RSS. Like the RSS it too believes in militaristic training and taking an extreme or sometimes ridiculous stand on the Hindu religion. But the Sanatan Sanstha is openly against elections, democracy and the Indian Constitution, and has no direct interest in electoral processes whereas the RSS is busy enjoying political control. At this point, both the organisations differ with each other. The Sanatan Sanstha has already declared that all the political parties and its leaders are enemies of Hindu rashtra (Sanatan Prabhat 2013). It has clearly differentiated itself from the RSS. In one of the news in Sanatan Prabhat, Jayant Athavale was quoted as saying
the RSS has 40 lakh volunteers but because they do not perform saadhana (spiritual exercise), over the last 68 years, they have taken the nation to a new low, step by step, across all spheres. On the contrary, over the next five years, HJS will get 4 lakh sadhak-karyakarte (spiritual activists). These activists will perform sadhana and start a religious revolution to establish a Hindu Rashtra … in the next three years. Which means, eight years from now, in 2023, we will establish a Hindu nation. (Haygunde 2015)
This is where the Sanatan Sanstha differs with the RSS. At a subtle level, differences between the likes of the Sanatan Sanstha and the RSS has an undercurrent of tussle between two Brahmin subcastes, namely Chitpavan and Karhade. This tussle reflects in the fraternal differences between RSS Hindutva and Savarkarite/Hindu Mahasabha Hindutva. The origin of the Sanatan Sanstha can be traced back into V D Savarkar’s thoughts on Hindutva and the making of a Hindu rashtra.
The ultimate goal is to achieve a Hindu rashtra. But, the methods they have chosen are different. The Sanatan Sanstha’s ideology is not different from that of the RSS but it has camouflaged it with spirituality, religious mysticism and the promise of cleansing the society of all “evildoers.” This is the reason why Sanatan Sanstha keeps talking about corruption in Hindu temples. It helps them in building a “clean” and “righteous” image among people. These techniques helped the organisations to reach larger masses despite having a narrow Brahminical ideology. Nevertheless, the RSS does not want to be overshadowed by the Sanatan Sanstha. On several occasions, the RSS has disowned the Sanatan Sanstha and criticised its methods. On the other hand, the Sanatan Sanstha has criticised the RSS and BJP after the recent round of arrests of its sympathisers (Haygunde 2015). But at the same time, the Sanatan Sanstha seems confident that the present BJP government will protect the organisation.
Hindutva Designs for Western Maharashtra
It is instructive to see the activities of these hard line Hindutva groups in western Maharashtra to see how they complement the Sangh Parivar. The western part of Maharashtra up to Belgaum in Karnataka has been systematically radicalised by Hindutva elements for over 15 years. Western Maharashtra is a rich sugar belt with the legacy of a cooperative movement. The cooperative movement helped the social upliftment of farmers as compared to other regions of Maharashtra. The milk dairies, sugar factories, cooperative banks, educational institutes and engineering colleges were all started because of the cooperative movement in the region. It was once a stronghold of the Congress and later the Nationalist Congress Party led by Sharad Pawar. This region has been a source and pivot of anti-caste social revolutionary movements and progressive activism.
This was the part of Maharashtra which the RSS could not penetrate for a long time. However, Hindu extremist leaders who were disillusioned with the RSS, formed their own organisations and started infiltrating some parts of western Maharashtra. However, the background of hard line Hindutva leaders who parted ways with the RSS raises the question whether the RSS itself entrusted them with a responsibility of concentrating on western Maharashtra. Manohar alias Sambhaji Bhide who was associated with the RSS started his own organisation Shiv Pratishthan Hindusthan in Sangli in 1984, a district of western Maharashtra. He has successfully managed to mobilise the youth, especially from the Maratha community, towards Hindutva. In the guise of telling stories of Shivaji Maharaj, Bhide has inculcated hatred towards Muslims. But he seems to be protected because of the admiration he receives from political leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi (Firstpost 2018). Bhide has been accused of engineering the Sangli riots and also the recent Bhima Koregaon violence that took place on 1 January 2018 (Gangan 2018). Another leader of Samasta Hindu Aghadi, Milind Ekbote from Pune is also an accused
of the Bhima Koregaon violence and 23 other criminal cases. Ekbote has been radicalising youths in Pune and surrounding areas. Hindu Rashtra Sena leader Dhananjay Desai is under arrest with charges of killing a Muslim engineer, Mohsin Shaikh, who was returning from work in Pune in 2014. Desai is known for his hooliganism and Hindutva activities.
The Sanatan Sanstha has its main ashram in Goa and Panvel but has attracted many followers from western Maharashtra. Its mouthpiece Sanatan Prabhat has a special edition for western Maharashtra. These organisations believe in twisting history and narrating false stories about historic monuments, spreading hatred about Muslims and Christians, using Shivaji Maharaj and Sambhaji Maharaj’s name to attract youths, openly talking about a Hindu rashtra, with no hesitation in unfolding its plans about terror activities. When attempts to create Hindu–Muslim rift did not work in Pune and surrounding areas, systematic fissures were created among Maratha and Dalit communities by narrating a false history of Bhima Koregaon.
These activities are suitable for the RSS’s ideology and there are grounds to believe that the RSS might be supporting them in various ways. However, if they are found to be linked with any controversy, the RSS easily disowns them.
Demand for Ban
The motive of the Sanatan Sanstha is quite clear now that it is working towards forming a Hindu rashtra and does not dither to adopt violent ways for that. Creating a parallel system to the existing one is a grave threat to the country. The Sanatan Sanstha has always been ignored for being a small minority of fanatics. But the police and the government are not probing the financial support, fund-raising and dealing of lands on which the two main ashrams reside in Goa and Panvel. The Sanatan Sanstha has shown the audacity to start an armed battle within the state. They have created an atmosphere of hatred among Hindus that led to the killing of rationalist Narendra Dabholkar, writer M M Kalburgi, communist leader Govind Pansare and journalist Gauri Lankesh. Members of the Sanatan Sanstha are caught making bombs, openly advocating arms training and waging war against the state. What more evidence does the centre need to ban the organisation?
References
Athavale, Jayant Balaji and Kunda Jayant Athavale (1999): Kshatra Dharma Sadhana, Madgaon, Sanatan Sanstha.
— (2001): Ishwari Rajyachi Sthapana, Sanatan Bharatiya Sanskriti Sanstha, Mumbai.
Athavale, Jayant Balaji (2014): Laingik Samasyanvar Svasammohan Upachar, Panvel, Sanatan Bharatiya Sanskriti Sanstha.
DNA (2011): “2 Right Wing Activists Convicted in Thane Blast, 4 Acquitted,” 30 August, https://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report-2-right-wing-activists-convicted-....
Firstpost (2018): “Many Friends of Sambhaji Bhide: Bhima Koregoan Riots Accused Enjoys Massive Social Media Following, including Tushar Damgude,” 29 August, https://www.firstpost.com/india/many-friends-of-sambhaji-bhide-bhima-kor....
Gangan, Surendra P (2018): “Maharashtra Recommended Bhima–Koregaon Clash Accused Sambhaji Bhide for Padma Shri,” Hindustan Times, 1 March.
Hafeez, Mateen (2016): “State ATS Had First Sought Ban on Sanstha Eight Years Back,” Times of India, 12 June, https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/State-ATS-had-first-soug....
Haygunde, Chandan (2015): “Of Sanatan’s Troubles with RSS, the Latest—Not Spiritual Enough, Taken India to New Low,” Indian Express, 28 September.
Hindu (2009): “Margao Blast: Four Members of Hindu Group Held, Two Killed,” 17 October, https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/Margao-blast-four-members-of-Hindu-group-held-two-killed/article16887287.ece.
India Today (2008): “After Malegaon Leads, CBI to Reopen Nanded Blast Probe,” 23 November, https://www.indiatoday.in/latest-headlines/story/after-malegaon-leads-cbi-to-reopen-nanded-blast-probe-33884-2008-11-23.
NDTV (2018): “3 Right-wing Activists Arrested after Explosives Found at Maharashtra Home,” 11 August, https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/3-right-wing-activists-arrested-after-explosives-found-at-maharashtra-home-1898987.
Rajput, Rashmi (2018): “Five Held Now for ‘Terror Plot’, ATS Prepares Fresh Dossier for Sanatan Sanstha Ban,” Indian Express, 26 August, https://indianexpress.com/article/india/maharashtra-ats-prepares-fresh-d....
Sanatan Prabhat (2005): “Nidharmivalyankadun Honare Bharatache Tukde Talnyasathi ata Hindurashtrachi Nirmiti Apariharya,” 16 August.
— (2013): “Hindu Rashtra Sthapanesathi Dharmakranti Avashyak,” 9 June, p 3.
— (2018): “Sanatanchya Santanche Advitiyatva,” 27 August, https://sanatanprabhat.org/marathi/174880.html.
Shinde, Ramesh and Mohan Gauda (2011): Love Jihad, Sanatan Bhartiya Sanskriti Sanstha, Panvel.

Show

October 08, 2018

India TV expose on the involvement of Sanatan Sanstha activists in terrorsm in Maharashtra

bit.ly/IT_LiveTV

o o o

see also:

Exclusive: Video tapes reveal how Sanatan Sanstha workers planted bombs

India Today TV's Special Investigation Team has secured evidence suggesting that the Sanatan Sanstha might have played a role in the 2008 bomb blasts in Maharashtra.

Md Hizbullah

Divyesh Singh

Mumbai
October 8, 2018
https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/exclusive-video-tapes-reveal-how-sanatan-sanstha-workers-planted-bombs-1358688-2018-10-08

September 03, 2018

India: For Sanatan Sanstha, all’s fair in the war for a Hindu Rashtra

The Hindu

For Sanatan Sanstha, all’s fair in the war for a Hindu Rashtra

Supporters take part in a rally in Thane on August 28, 2018 to protest the move to ban the Sanatan Sanstha. | Photo Credit: Vibhav Birwatkar

Alok Deshpande Gautam S Mengle Mumbai 01 September 2018 20:24 IST

Updated: 02 September 2018 10:23 IST

The Sanstha, which advocates the setting up of a theocratic state, has called for the use of violence against those it considers obstacles.

“A third world war will take place between 2016 and 2018, marking the beginning of an end of anti-socials...Training to set up a “God’s kingdom” will continue from 2019 to 2022 and a Hindu Rashtra will be set up by 2023.”
These are not predictions from Nostradamus or a neighbourhood astrologer. This is the time table for the nation drawn up by Sanatan Sanstha, an extreme right-wing Hindu organisation, headed by Dr. Jayant Athawale.
The outfit is under investigation for its role in the 2013 murder of rationalist Narendra Dhabolkar and more recently by the Maharashtra Anti-terrorism Squad (ATS) following the seizure of arms and crude bombs earlier this month.
Set up by a doctor couple — Jayant and Kunda Athawale — the Sanstha claims to be working towards the formation of a “Hindu Rashtra” since 1995. The outfit began with a focus on three States — Goa, Maharashtra and Karnataka. Known for its secretive style of functioning, entry into its ashrams is strictly by invitation only.

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The Sanstha’s mouthpiece, Sanatan Prabhat, however, ensures that its followers know their enemies. Almost all political parties are termed opponents. The minorities, especially Christians and Muslims, are called the biggest obstacle in the formation of a Hindu Rahstra. The police are not spared either. An article published in the June 9, 2013 issue of the daily says: “We cannot build a Hindu Rashtra without defeating police and the military.”
Investigations into Dabholkar’s murder revealed that the Sanatan Sanstha’s publications have been openly telling its members that violence against durjan (evil persons) is not actually violence at all.
The Sanstha’s book Kshatrabharma (Religion of Kshatriyas) gives a detailed plan of action against such durjan and their kin. “Instead of breaking one branch, if you cut the trunk, all branches will be dead,” the books states.
“If possible, try to stop these people by convincing them; but if that is not possible, then they should be punished,” it adds

Armed cadre

The book goes on to explain the need for imparting military training, including with fire arms, to members of the Sanstha. “If one fires the bullet while praying, it hits the aim. Arjuna used to pray to Shri Krishna while aiming with his arrow, hence he was the best archer,” explains the book.
Advocating an armed battle, the publication says Chhatrapati Shivaji did not set up the kingdom by winning elections. “We also have to build the Hindu Rashtra on the same path of battle,” it says.
A passage in the book asserts that the outfit will eliminate 5% of the durjan in the society by turning 10% of the population into its followers.
According to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is probing the murder Dr. Dabholkar, e-mails traced to the computer at the residence of one of the arrested accused, Virendra Tawde, speak of building an army of 15,000 members. Dr. Tawde is a member of Hindu Janjagruti Samiti and Sanatan Sanstha. Amid claims that a section of police officers is involved with the outfit, the Kshatrabharma says: “The most infamous police department has 5% of our members. They will help us from inside.”

Also Read

CBI charges Tawde with Dabholkar’s murder

As per the timetable published in the Sanatan Prabhat’s June 9, 2013 edition, the years between 1999 and 2012 were meant to prepare people’s mind for the elimination of durjan. During 2013-15, a physical, psychological and spiritual battle was to waged against these evil people. A third world war, natural calamities and elimination of durjan are supposed to take place between 2016 and 2018.
Thereafter, training for the functioning of a divine kingdom will take place from 2019-2022. Year 2023 is when the said kingdom will be established, the publication said.

Invisible leader

While Dr. Athawale is seen as an incarnation of God by his followers, they are quick to point out that he has never made any such claim. Interestingly, he has not been in public for several years now.
A recent demand from the Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil for a probe into Dr Athawale’s activities following the recovery of the arms cache, was dismissed by Sanstha spokesperson Chetan Rajhans, who said the 'paratpar guru' was busy in sadhana (meditation). Mr Rajhans added that his disciples were capable of answering any question.
Under investigation for its alleged involvement in the murder of three noted rationalists and one journalist — Narendra Dhabolkar (2013), Govind Pansare (2015), M.M. Kalburi (2015) and Gauri Lankesh (2017) — the Sanstha has always advocated the need to oppose ‘thinkers’. An article in Sanatan Prabhat for instance says: “It’s a crusade. Revolutionary battle is inevitable to set up Hindu Rashtra. You will claim heaven if you die in this crusade and if you win, you will win the Earth.”

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Gauri Lankesh murder: Sanatan Sanstha denies involvement

Ahead of the recent investigations into its role in advocating violence, the Sanstha has been accused by former members for indoctrinating adherents. A former close associate and co-author with Dr. Athawale of the Sanstha’s early books, Ashutosh Prabhudesai, a psychiatrist is among those who have left this “cult” on a bitter note.
Dr. Prabhudesai has accused Dr. Athawale of interfering in his marital life and influencing his first wife to divorce him. In an affidavit filed in a local court in Panaji in 2009, Dr. Prabhudesai said his wife was being indoctrinated by Dr. Athawale.
The accusation was echoed by Vijay Rokade, a resident of Khopoli near Mumbai. Mr. Rokade approached the Bombay High Court in December 2011 claiming the Sanstha had applied “'Ericksonian Hypnosis” on its followers and that his wife had refused to return home after joining the Sanstha’s ashram at Panvel. Mr. Rokade’s complaint was backed up by similar complaints from four other families. The petitions have been clubbed and are now pending in the High Court.

ATS crackdown

The crackdown by the Maharashta Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) began on August 10, 2018 with the arrest of Vaibhav Raut and Sharad Kalaskar from Nallasopara and Sudhanwa Gondhalekar from Pune. Mr. Raut is a member of the Hindu Govansh Raksha Samiti, while Mr. Gondhalekar is part of the Shri Shivapratisthan Hindustan, both right wing groups. Mr. Raut is known in Nallasopara as a “daring gaurakshak”, while Mr. Gondhalekar's outfit is headed by Sambhaji Bhide, who was booked for instigating the Bhima-Koregaon violence on January 1, 2018.

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Though the Sanatan Sanstha has denied that any of the arrested accused are members of its organisation, it claimed that they work for the greater goal of Hindutva and participated in Sanstha's programmes as a part of that objective. However, Mr. Raut was seen on the platform of Hindu Janjagruti Samiti (HJS), a sister organisation of the Sanstha, to address a press conference against Kanhaiya Kumar in 2016. He also attended programmes organised by Sanstha.
The first seizure of eight crude bombs was on the night of August 9 from Mr Raut’s residence when he was picked up for inquiries. The next morning after he was formally placed under arrest, the ATS went on to raid a commercial space in Nallasopara owned by him.
The massive cache seized from Nallasopara included 12 more crude bombs, two gelatin sticks, four electronic detonators, 22 non-electronic detonators, safety fuse wires, 150 grams of a white powder wrapped in newspaper, two one-litre bottles labelled 'Poison', 10 batteries, a six volt battery, a cutter, a hacksaw, soldering equipment, three switches, two complete PCB circuits, a partially completed PCB circuit, six battery connectors, two battery containers, four relay switches, eight resistors, six transistors, lengths of wires, a multimeter, handgloves, adhesive solution and a hand drawn, partially complete circuit diagram. The ATS’ seizures pointed to a State-wide, highly organised plan.
“The arsenal had obviously been stocked over time, and was being assembled by Mr Raut and Mr Kalaskar. We have information to indicate that they had help from others in this, and are working on identifying and apprehending these people as well,” an ATS officer said.

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A day later, on August 11, the ATS also seized 10 country made pistols, along with six partially made pistols, ten barrels, three partially made magazines, seven partially complete sliding mechanisms and other gun parts from a commercial space owned by Mr. Gondhalekar.

The gunmen

Their interrogation, however, provided the first big twist in the tale. Mr. Kalaskar, according to the ATS, confessed that he was “directly involved” in the 2013 murder of rationalist Narendra Dabholkar and also named his co-accused, Sachin Andure. The ATS subsequently summoned Mr Andure, a resident of Aurangabad, for questioning and handed him over to the Central Bureau of Investigation after his alleged involvement was established. The CBI said subsequent inquiries confirmed that Mr. Andure and Mr. Kalaskar had gunned down Dr. Dabholkar.
The ATS, also arrested two more accused — Shrikant Pangarkar from Jalna and Avinash Pawar from Ghatkopar in Mumbai.
On August 28 at a custody hearing, the ATS told the court that Mr. Raut and his co-accused were planning to target the Sunburn festival in Pune and had also conducted a recce of the venue. Other targets of the accused, according to the ATS, included movie theatres in Belgaum where the movie Padmaavat was released. On August 29, the CBI, while seeking additional custody of Mr. Andure, told the court that he and Mr. Kalaskar had links with the three accused arrested by the Bengaluru SIT for the murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh, and that these links were being probed further.

India: Hindutva extremists planned the assassination of Gauri Lankesh a year before

India Today

Gauri Lankesh's murder was planned a year before: Exclusive details

Nagarjun Dwarakanath
Bengaluru
August 29, 2018

HIGHLIGHTS

Mastermind of Lankesh's assassination Amol Kale was former Hindu Janajagruti Samiti convener
Amol Kale hired alleged killer Parashuram Waghmare who's member of Sri Ram Sene
Weapon used to murder Lankesh's was procured, manufactured by Sharad Kalaskar

Gauri Lankesh's murder was planned a year before: Exclusive details of the killing

Gauri Lankesh was killed on September 5, 2017

The idea of creating a 'Hindu Rashtra' led to four activists being murdered by one nameless underground organisation. The organisation has members from Sanathan Sanstha, Hindu Janjagruthi Samithi and many other right wing organisations, according to the Special Investigation Team (SIT).
The mastermind of Gauri Lankesh's assassination Amol Kale was a former Hindu Janajagruti Samiti convener and another accused Amit Degwekar was a sadhak in the Sanathan Sanstha.
The nameless underground organisation had a hit list with 26 names across the country and it consisted of 60 people who were planning to execute the assassinations. The SIT shared as many as 14 names on the hit list with Maharashtra Police and Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS).
The recent arrests of many right-wing members in Mumbai, Maharashtra were based on the information provided by Karnataka SIT. According to the information the detonators and weapons were in possession of members of many right-wing organisations.
UNEARTHING GAURI LANKESH'S MURDER PLOT
The SIT has found that the plan to kill Gauri Lankesh started almost a year before the actual murder took place on September 5, 2017. Amol Kale hired the alleged killer Parashuram Waghmare - a member of Sri Ram Sene.
Waghmare was told to kill Lankesh for the sake of saving Hindu dharam. Kale then took Waghmare to an isolated three-acre land in Khanapur, Belgaum to practice shooting using an air pistol.
Waghmare first came to Bengaluru in July 2017 and did a recce of Gauri's house.
DAY OF THE MURDER
According to the police, Waghmare didn't know any of his associates by name. He only knew them through their aliases. Waghmare was told that someone will pick him up on a bike and he has to pull the trigger of the 7.65 mm country-made pistol.
On September 5 at 8.09 pm, Waghmare arrived on a black motorcycle outside Lankesh's house and assassinated her.
He was accompanied by another man Ganesh Miskin. Ganesh was also carrying a gun, if in case Waghmare failed to hit the target.
Once Gauri Lankesh was shot, Ganesh Miskin and Waghmare rushed towards Mysore Road and met another accused Amit Baddi, who was waiting in a Maruti Omni van. Waghmare and Ganesh Miskin, upon reaching the spot at Mysore Road, handed over the gun, bike, clothes, helmet, and shoes to Amit Baddi.
Both the shooters then headed towards Nelanmangala, which is on the outskirts of Bengaluru, to meet another associate Bharat Kurne.
Kurne helped them to board a bus to North Karnataka.
Meanwhile, Amit Baddi took the gun, clothes and the bike to a safe house in Kumbalgodu. The belongings along with the murder weapon were removed from the safe house by Sudhanva Gondhalekar 10 days later. Gondhalekar was recently arrested in Maharashtra.
ROLE OF EACH ACCUSED
Investigating officers feel that the murder was meticulously planned and micro-managed by mastermind Amol Kale. The SIT has arrested 12 people till now in Gauri Lankesh's murder case.
1. KT Naveen Kumar - Abettor of the conspiracy; was involved in procuring arms for next assassination
2. Sujith Kumar - Recruiter of the murderer (Parashuram Waghmare)
3. Amol Kale - Mastermind of the assassination
4. Amit Degwekar - Deputy head of the group
5. Manohar Edave - Involved in conspiring the murder
6. Parashuram Waghmare - The alleged shooter
7. Rajesh Bangera - Arms trainer
8. Ganesh Maskin - Bike rider
9. Amit Baddi - Collected weapon and took it to safe place
10. Suresh - House owner where weapon was hidden
11. Bharat Kurne - Owner of land where Waghmare practised shooting in 2017
12. Mohan Naik - Rented a house for weapon to be kept after the murder
FOUR MURDERS ONE DIARY
When Amol Kale was arrested a few months ago, the SIT found a diary in his possesson which had some codes. They cracked the codes and managed to get names and numbers of the other accused in the murder.
When the investigators dug deep into the information in the diary, they realised Amol Kale was also involved in murders of Govind Pansare, Narendra Dabholkar and MM Kalburgi.
Till Kalburgi's murder, Dr Virendra Tawde was heading the nameless organisation, but after his arrest, Amol Kale took over as the head of the group. The information in the diary was shared by the SIT with their counterparts in Maharashtra and many right-wing members were put under surveillance, which resulted in the recent arrests.
WEAPON USED FOR MURDER
Sources in SIT said that the weapon used for Gauri Lankesh's murder and other murders was procured and manufactured by Sharad Kalaskar, who was also arrested by the ATS.
SIT believes that the two guns were used for all four murders.

On the day of the murder, the gang carried two guns. In Pansare's killing both guns were used. In Gauri, Kalburgi, Dhabolkar killing, one gun was used, but the second gun was present at the crime scene.

- Said a source from SIT

According to SIT, the weapons seized by ATS in Mumbai consist of these two guns. SIT will now seek the custody of the weapon and send it to forensic laboratory for tests.
HABITUAL OFFENDERS
Amol Kale and gang allegedly threw petrol bombs at a theater in Belgaum during the screening of controversial movie Padmaavat. The SIT also unearthed another plot where the same gang had gone to a western music concert in Pune on 2017's New Year's Eve.
The mission was aborted as the gang found CCTV cameras and became alert, and the plan was shelved.

August 30, 2018

Hindu right wing group Sanatan Sanstha planned blast at Pune Sunburn festival - an annual electronic dance music festival

Hindu right wing group Sanatan Sanstha planned blast at Pune Sunburn festival: Cops
Maharashtra Police’s Anti-Terrorism Squad tells court the accused considered the music festival to be “against Hindu culture”.
india Updated: Aug 29, 2018 14:34 IST

HT Correspondent
Hindustan Times, Mumbai

The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on Tuesday claimed in a special court that five recently arrested sympathisers of the Hindu right-wing group Sanatan Sanstha (it has distanced itself from them and said they are not its members) planned to plant explosives at last year’s edition of Sunburn, an annual electronic dance music festival in Pune.

All five were arrested earlier this month from Nalla Sopara, Pune and Jalna in connection with an arms case, and were remanded to ATS custody.

Prosecutors appearing for the ATS made these assertions before a special court constituted to try Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act cases. On Tuesday, four of the five accused – Vaibhav Raut, Sharad Kalaskar, Sudhanva Gondhalekar and Shrikant Pangarkar – were produced in court, with prosecutors seeking an extension of their custody. Special court judge Sameer Adkar extended their custody by seven days. The fifth accused, Avinash Pawar, will be produced in court on August 31.

[ . . .]

FULL TEST HERE: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/hindu-right-wing-group-sanatan-sanstha-planned-blast-at-pune-sunburn-festival-cops/story-67nsqrsoA6ESLB299fNMVK.html

August 28, 2018

India: Remove 'secular' from Constitution says Sanatan Sanstha, a Hindu Far Right Group

FirstPost

Remove 'secular' from Constitution as it puts Hindus at disadvantage, says Sanatan Sanstha

India FP Staff Aug 27, 2018 22:14:56 IST

Amid a debate over banning Sanatan Sanstha, the radical Hindutva outfit made a demand on Monday to exclude the word "secular" from the Preamble.
Through the 42nd Amendment of the Constitution of India, added in 1976, the Preamble asserts that India is a secular nation. Elaborating on the demand at a press conference, Sanatan Sanstha spokesperson Chetan Rajhans said that the Constitution does not define which aspect of India is secular: the country, government, or the people. He further added that because of the addition of the term, Hindus are "at a disadvantage"."No other country in the world puts its majority at a disadvantage," the outfit said.
Rajhans further claimed that "secular" was enacted at the time of Emergency by former prime minister Indira Gandhi, under pressure from various entities. "So, if there is a provision to add words, these can also be removed by the same provisions," he told a media conference in Mumbai.
Facing a barrage of questions, Rajhans said that the issue is "nothing new" and that the organisation has been demanding this for long through constitutional means.

Although the outfit is a non-government charitable trust, it is currently facing massive criticism for being allegedly linked to terror activities, and murder cases of rationalist thinker Narendra Dabholkar and journalist Gauri Lankesh.
Rajhans said that both Sanatan Sanstha and another outfit Hindu Janjagruti Samiti, which are facing the heat of various investigating agencies, are purely religious organisations. "We are being defamed in a pre-planned manner. We do not support or approve of violence in any form. Our mission for the past 27 years is to propagate 'dharma and spirituality," he said.

He pointed out that neither the Anti-Terrorism Squad-CBI chargesheets nor the remand applications have named Sanatan Sanstha in any of the murder cases. "It is only parties like the Congress, communists, some intellectuals and thinkers and progressive organisations who are targeting the small organisation," he said.
"Demanding a ban on us or arresting our leader, just because the accused are arrested, is ridiculous," Rajhans said.

On 23 August, Prithviraj Chavan, who had served as the state's chief minister from November 2010 to September 2014, said that his government had sent a proposal to ban the organisation in 2011 and followed it up with a 1000-page dossier detailing the activities of the radical outfit in 2012.
He said the dossier was "without any prejudice" and was based on a report prepared by the ATS on the activities of the Sanstha.
Chavan's comments came a day after Union minister of state for home affairs Hansraj Ahir said the Centre did not have "complete information" on any proposal from the Maharashtra government to ban the outfit.
With inputs from agencies

Updated Date: Aug 27, 2018 22:14 PM

Tags : #Constitution #Hindutva #Indian Consitution #Indira Gandhi #Preamble #Sanatan Sanstha #Secular #TheySaidIt