Varanasi, one of the oldest and continuously
inhabited cities in the world is known also as Banaras or Kashi and
incorporates the different school of thoughts, religions which makes it the
centre of attraction among people across the globe.
One side it is known as the prominent city
for followers of Hindu religion and on the other hand it is known also as the place
where Lord Buddha delivered his first sermon[i] (dhamma chakkra parivartan)
in 528 BC. It is one of the holy cities of Jainism, and one of the epicentres
of the Bhakti movement (a current dating back to Hindu medieval times very
close to Sufi Islam, ed.) Guru Nanak Dev, founder of Sikhism, visited Varanasi
in 1507 and was inspired by the city. The three Tirthankars[ii] of Jain religion were also
born at this place. Thus Varanasi holds equally high place among followers of Hindu
and other religions.
Varanasi has been the birthplace and work
place for Sant Kabir[iii],
Sant Raidas[iv] and
Sen Nai, opposing sectarian thinking, communalism and casteism. They
established the dignity of labour with spiritualism. Maulana Alvi brought here
the world famous Banarsi silk artisan saree work that now has a Bollywood
celebrity as its brand ambassador. Banaras has been home to several great
personalities from the field of art, culture, music and literature.
A poet-saint, reformer and philosopher
Tulsidas[v]'
doctrine has been described as an assimilation and reconciliation of the
diverse tenets and cultures of Hinduism taught reconciliation. Munshi Premchand[vi], an
Indian writer famous for his modern Hindustani literature was famous for both
his Hindi and Urdu writings. Great author Bhartendu Harishchandra, Jai Shankar
Prasad, Dr Shyam Sunderdas and Acharya Ramchandra Shukla have had Baranas as
their home.
The city has had four Bharat Ratna(the
highest civilian award of the Republic of India)[vii] recipients too. The
Shehnai maestro Ustad Bismillah Khan[viii],
Lal Bahadur Shastri[ix] the
second prime minister of India, Pt Ravi Shankar[x] the renowned Sitar player
and Bhagwan Das[xi] an
Indian Theosophist who was allied with the Hindustani Culture Society and was
active in opposing rioting as a form of protest. For a time he served in the
Central Legislative Assembly of British India. As an advocate for national
freedom from the British rule, he was often in danger of reprisals from the
Colonial government. He was the fourth recipient of India's highest civilian
award. He established the Kashi Vidyapeeth in association with Mahatma Gandhi.
In the 16th century, Varanasi experienced a
cultural revival under the Muslim Mughal emperor Akbar who invested in the
city, and built two large temples dedicated to Shiva and Vishnu. The Raja of
Poona established the Annapurna mandir and the 200 metres (660 ft) Akbari
Bridge was also completed during this period. The earliest tourists began
arriving in the city during the 16th century. In 1665, the French traveller
Jean Baptiste Tavernier described the architectural beauty of the a temple on
the side of the Ganges. The road infrastructure was also improved during this
period and extended from Kolkata to Peshawar by Emperor Sher Shah Suri; later
during the British Raj it came to be known as the famous Grand Trunk Road.
Annie Besant [xii] the prominent British
socialist, theosophist, women's rights activist, writer and orator and
supporter of Irish and Indian self-rule was active in city and Theosophical
Society of India. In April 1911, Besant met Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya[xiii]
and they decided to unite their forces and work for a common Hindu University
at Varanasi. The Banaras Hindu University started functioning in October 1917
with the Central Hindu College as its first constituent college.
There is something special about the Banaras
Gharana[xiv] of
music that is based upon Indian classical instruments quoting Hindu Gods and
Deities and it also incorporates the Sarod[xv] from Afghanistan, Shehnai[xvi]
and Sitar[xvii] from
Persian culture with the same pride as they do for the Indian instruments.
Reconciling various branches of Indian
philosophy from Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Bahai, Jainism,
Sikhism, Sufism, and Jew all have an equal connect in this ancient city that
believes Varanasi as a centre for pluralism and inclusive cultural based on
reconciliation and diversity. This has been the heritage of pluralism and
inclusive culture based on civilization of River Ganga.
People
across the world can learn on how to live and make co-existence meaningful even
as there are differences among people yet they live in harmony as inclusive
culture based on diversity and pluralism. It is therefore necessary that
Varanasi or Banaras be given status of a Living HERITAGE CITY of inclusive and
plural culture. It is necessary that the city of faith, belief, indigenous
wisdom and logic be declared a heritage city. It is required that the water in
the city should be Ganga Jal (water) and not Ganda (dirty) Jal. Rivers are
central to our culture and civilization. People's survival, religious believes,
Peoples' life, dignity spirituality and civilization are linked to them. I
suggest, the government should consider handing over the management of rivers
to the department of culture. Sand (Bul) the favourite animal of Lord Shiv be
given dignity/honour in the city and provide health support to them by trained
veterinarian.
It is necessary that the old city be
conserved as heritage as done in Singapore and the new city be developed with
expansion plans for future in sight. The artisans of the city be given means of
livelihood. Weaving, toy making, zardoji be promoted and helped grow. It is
noticeable that police and military badges of various countries are made in
Varanasi. Dress of Hindu Gods and Deities are made by Muslims in Varanasi. The
history of pluralism, inclusive culture based on reconciliation be taught to
young students in the schools. This is not important just for the sake of the
past but for the very fact that in India and South Asia, there is a need to end
communal/sectarian thinking based on caste and to bring “positive conflict
resolution” that shall be the manner to develop complete concept of citizen in
the region.
This shall help to put an end to torture and
large scale organised violence arising out of casteism, sectarian thinking and
communal fascism.
It is in this very context that a BANARAS
SAMMELAN (Banaras Convention) organized on August 09, 2014 at the Moolgadi
Kabirchaura Math[xviii],Kabirchaura,
Varanasi,India. Convention passed follows declaration:
·
It is well known that the musicians belonging to
Banaras Gharana within the classical music with chanting hymens for Hindus Gods
and Goddess. At the same time, they use instruments like Afghanistan made Sarod
and Shahanai and Sitar brought form Iran, which is a symbol of pluralism. There
is a need to be efforts at the government level to keep alive this rich
tradition of classical music. Let there be a mega “Hindustani musical institution”
to help enrich tradition of Banaras Gharana. This will facilitate students from
the country and abroad pursuing education in music as well as growth in culture
centric tourism.
·
Banaras has close relationship with Indian religious
and cultural moorings as this city has embraced - Hindu, Buddhism, Islam, Christianity,
Jews, Bahai, Jainism, Sikhism, tradition of Saint, Sufisim etc. It is imperative to keep this pluralistic
religious culture alive and make people aware to collectively fight communal forces
and sectarian thinking. This will embolden Banaras’s tradition of collectivity.
·
Banaras is a great center of pluralistic and inclusive
culture and this center has remained as “Heritage of Ganga riverside civilization”
this will make people not only from India but also from rest of the world learn
to live in social harmony, understanding and brotherhood. They will also feel
the importance of living together notwithstanding internal contradictions and intolerance.
Which is why the history, prominent signposts and collective culture of Banaras
city - which is known as a city of faith, believes and debates - be declared as
“Heritage”.
·
Let the Gangaji and its 15 hundred tributaries be
allowed to flow cleanly without any interruption. This will go a long way to
save riverside ancient civilization and culture.
·
Rivers are great centers of our culture and
civilization. They are interwoven with people’s livelihood, religious faiths,
spiritualism, dignity, life and civilization. Therefore, the Indian government
should bring the rivers under the department of culture.
·
There is an urgent need of drinking water and
veterinary doctors to take care of Lord Shiva’s pet bull “Nandi”.
·
Let the old Banaras city be given a facelift of a
heritage city on the lines of Singapore and new city be developed elsewhere
like any other modern city.
·
The unique art and heritage of Banaras city must be
preserve. For example, the art of weaving (Banarasi Sari Udyog), wooden
carvings, artisan, making of crowns of gods and goddess need to be encouraged
through higher provisioning in the budget. The artists and artisans involved in
such activities should be included in various welfare schemes.
·
Banaras is famous for making of badges for various
military, Para military and police forces of the world. Shri Krishna’s copper swing
is made here. Muslim artisans make clothes, crown, and garlands for Hindu deities.
The government must come out with effective schemes to save, preserve and
resurrect such fine art and cultural heritage.
·
Let the schools, Madarsa and other educational
institutions in Banaras have courses on Banaras’s pluralistic and inclusive
cultural history. This will pave the way for the posterity to preserve the
unique culture of Banaras with awe and respect.
·
A list of all tourist places, cultural centers be
prepared and the included in tourism list. The historically significant places
in the city should be brought under tourism and culture department so that more
and more tourists can know about Banaras’s ancient and rich history. They
include the birth place of Kabeer i.e mool gadee kabeer math, dayee kangoora
mosque, observatory of Man Singh, library of Karmikal, Majar of Maulana Alvi,
Nagari Pracharini sabha, House of Munshi Prem chand, Mosque of Dhaurhara, Jain
tirthankar place, Chauhatta lal khan makbara, many tanks and ponds etc.
·
The museum under the department of culture should be
proactive in preserving the ancient and rich history, its related important
historical facts, books, documents.
·
There government must be construct shelter homes,
dwelling houses for homeless, poor city denizens, old age people and helpless
women.
·
The government must bring economically weaker boatman
community, weavers, extremely deprive Musahars and their children in key
welfare scheme for their re settlement so that they can be brought to the
mainstream development.
·
The government must demolish encroachment in an around
in heritage side of Banaras like historical institutions, library, tanks, ponds
and preserve them for posterity.
·
The Indian government immediately should ratify the
UNCAT and enact law against torture.
·
All religions are against slavery. So is also
Banaras’s tradition. Therefore all kinds
of slavery such as Bonded labour, trafficking etc must be rooted out forthwith.
9 August, 2014
Kabir Chaura Math moolgadi, Varanasi, India.
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