The Hindu : After `trishul', it is `pharsa'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Apr 29, 2003

National

National

After `trishul', it is `pharsa'

By Our Special Correspondent

JAIPUR APRIL 28. After the ``trishul'', which created quite a flutter in the political circles in Rajasthan during the past one month, it is now the ``pharsa'' (axe) that those looking for poltico-religious symbolism want to brandish.

A threat to go in for large-scale distribution of ``pharsas'', the weapon of Parasuram, originated at a rally of the Brahmin Arakshan Manch (Brahmin Reservation Front) in Jodhpur on Sunday.

The day of the rally and the choice of Jodhpur as the venue had political significance.

The date coincided with the start of the ``Parivartan Yatra'', led by the BJP State unit president, Vasundhararaje Scindia, from Charbuja in Rajsamand district. The BJP leaders, Harishankar Bhabra and Ghanshyam Tiwari, opted to participate in the ``Chetavani''(warning) rally of Brahmins rather than the yatra in which the Deputy Prime Minister, L.K. Advani, and the BJP general secretary, Pramod Mahajan, participated.

A senior BJP leader, Lalit Kishore Chaturvedi, who was present at the Charbuja function, rushed to Jodhpur, 200 km away, to join the rally.

Jodhpur is the hometown of the Rajasthan Chief Minister, Ashok Gehlot.

The State Ministers, B.D. Kalla and Shilendra Joshi, and the senior Congress MLA, Bhanwarlal Sharma, were among those in the forefront of organising the rally.

The venue of the meeting, which attracted over 50,000 persons — much more than the ``Parivartan Yatra'' — from the districts of Jodhpur, Pali, Jalore, Barmer and Jaisalmer was ``Ravan Ka Chabutra'' grounds. The symbolism does not end here.

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