Dr. Sagar Bhalerao | 22 June, 2025
Maharashtra is widely recognized as the land of saints and equality. On the soil nurtured by Jyotiba Phule, Shahu Maharaj, and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, the saint tradition sowed the seeds of social reform, making it easier for democracy to take root. This tradition weakened the foundations of the caste system. The Vaishnavite faith, with its philosophy of “Ekameka laagtil paayi re” (All shall meet at each other’s feet), challenged the rigidities of Vedic orthodoxy.
Ironically, those very forces that once denied Sant Dnyaneshwar and his siblings the right to study the Vedas—forcing them to lose their parents in the process—are once again rearing their venomous heads. This time, their target is the Samvidhan Dindi (Constitution March).
Every year, progressive individuals from across Maharashtra gather at Mahatma Phule’s Samata Bhoomi and take out the Samvidhan Dindi. For the last fifteen years, this initiative titled “Let us experience the pilgrimage for at least one day” has brought together people who believe in equality and the philosophy of the saints.
Now, some reactionary voices have launched a whisper campaign claiming that these progressive individuals are atheists—ironically, the very same forces who once excommunicated Sant Dnyaneshwar and his siblings. These are the same so-called religious guardians who upheld untouchability, denied marginalized people the right to see Lord Vitthal, and promoted ritual impurity in the name of religion.
Today, these very people are outraged by the Samvidhan Dindi. Even though the traditional temple priests (the Badwes) were removed from the management of the Pandharpur temple, their toxic ideology continues to be spread by some groups in Pune. In a letter to the Police Commissioner of Pune, these modern-day Badwes have claimed that:
“In recent years, office bearers and members of atheist organizations, followers of groups that insult Hindu deities, Naxalite-sympathizing organizations like Lokayat, and similar groups are infiltrating the Pandharpur pilgrimage under the garb of initiatives like the Sanvidhan Dindi – Environmental Wari.”
This mentality is deeply disturbing. These are the same types of people who once threw Sant Tukaram’s abhangas (devotional verses) into the Indrayani river, who are said to have been involved in his murder, and who assaulted Sant Chokhamela for merely entering the temple.
And now, these same people dare to teach us about religion and tradition?
They are also accusing the Samvidhan Dindi of being a conspiracy of “urban Naxals.” But such accusations come from those who have no respect for the Constitution, who reject constitutional values, and who are unaware of what freedom of religion actually means.
The truth is: the essence of the saint tradition is embedded in the Indian Constitution. The values that saints upheld—equality, compassion, justice—are the very values the Constitution seeks to guarantee to every citizen. The Samvidhan Dindi is a modern continuation of the legacy of saint literature and the movement for social equality.
These modern-day Badwes are perhaps unaware that many of the top scholars and researchers of saint literature are strong supporters and participants of the Constitution March.
Those who believe in the Constitution need not fear such threats or complaints. But we must note with concern that the same Bhagwat Dharma (philosophy of devotion), which embraced saints like Chokhamela, Banka Mahar, and Sheikh Muhammad, is now being distorted and politicized by a few rogue elements in Pune.
These very people should, in fact, be invited to attend the Samvidhan Dindi’s devotional sessions. They should be made to understand the real purpose of the march. After all, those who go astray may someday find their way back—this is the very hope that the Constitution places in every citizen: that reason, equality, and justice will eventually prevail.
