BJP Launches Eight-Month Nationwide Campaign Honoring Guru Ravidas

The Samrasta Sankalp Abhiyan Initiative

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) formulated an extensive national program scheduled to run from July 29, 2026, to February 20, 2027. This initiative, titled the Samrasta Sankalp Abhiyan, commemorates the 650th birth anniversary of the mystic poet-saint Guru Ravidas. During a press conference at party headquarters in New Delhi on July 27, 2026, National General Secretaries Tarun Chugh and Dushyant Kumar Gautam detailed the logistics of the campaign.

Central to the movement is the distribution of 131 sacred urns from Varanasi, the birthplace of the saint, to various regions of India. The party intends to facilitate social harmony programs at 21,000 distinct locations and organize a festival of lights across 51,000 temples. A month-long procession will also travel from Jalandhar to Varanasi as part of a broader outreach involving students, hostels, and religious organizations.

Historical Context and Social Equality

Dushyant Kumar Gautam situated the legacy of Guru Ravidas within the mediaeval Bhakti movement, contrasting his teachings against the volatile eras of Sikandar Lodi and the Tughlaqs. While figures like Abraham Lincoln and B.R. Ambedkar are often cited for their work on civil liberties and constitutional equality, Gautam argued that Ravidas advocated for a casteless society and the concept of 'Beghampura'—a land without sorrow—centuries earlier.

• Outreach to 21,000 social harmony centers.
• Lighting ceremonies at 51,000 temple sites.
• Development of transportation infrastructure, including special trains and airports, to support pilgrim routes.
• Collaborations with religious leaders and educational institutions to spread Ravidas's message of equality.

Government Commitment to Cultural Preservation

Tarun Chugh highlighted that the current administration under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has prioritized the restoration of sites linked to the saint. These efforts include developing his birthplace and establishing dedicated pilgrim corridors. The BJP leadership maintains that the campaign's primary goal is to promote the ideals of equality and public awakening that Ravidas championed during a period of significant cultural distress.

Source: The Hindu — News