A large number of people of Bengaluru assembled at the National College Ground to listen to over a dozen swamijis of different mutts across Karnataka. On March 8, 2009, Dharma Raksha Vedike, a wing of Vishwa Hindu Parishad, organised a Dharma Jagruti Sabha?a huge public function to demonstrate unity among Hindus. As part of the programme, three different shobha yatras were taken out simultaneously from the nearby grounds and a huge crowd gathered at the venue shouting slogans such as Bharat Mata ki jai, Vande Mataram, navella Hindu, navella ondu (We are Hindus; We are united) and Hindu eddare desha edditu (Nation rises if Hindus rise).
Speaking on the occasion, Shri Vishwesha Teertha Swami of Pejavar Mutt, Udupi, who presided over the function, urged each citizen of India to awake from the deep slumber and be prepared to fight issues like terrorism, conversion, cow-slaughter, Muslim appeasement and conspiracy to divide Hindus. He explained that two characters from the Ramayana: Ravan and Kumbhakarna?are applicable even today. While Ravan symbolises attack from outside (terrorism), Kumbhakarna reflects two-point programme?eating and sleeping (current state of Indians). He stressed the need to get all castes among Hindus united and vote for a party in the coming Lok Sabha elections, which does not indulge in appeasement policy. The entire gathering concurred with the Swamiji when he announced that a Hindu vote bank is necessary to counter the Muslim vote bank. According to him, Hindu vote bank is the only answer to warn political parties who divide Hindus on the lines of caste, sub-caste, reservation etc., and after coming to power sow the seeds of hatred among Hindus, Muslims and Christians. He said ?If all of us are assertive, we can demand for amending the Constitution and bringing in Uniform Civil Code. Dream of Akhand Bharat (India, Pakisthan and Bangladesh) should be our aim and we should work hard towards achieving that goal?, he said. ?If we do not strive hard for achieving Akhand Bharat, we may even lose the existing Bharat,? he warned.
Sadhu Rangarajan of Bharat Mata Mandir said that the land from Kashmir to Kanyakumari belongs to Hindus and anyone who dares to say that they are non- Hindus, have no right to stay in Hindustan. Christians and Muslims can live here but they have to identify themselves with the culture and ethos of Hindustan. Everyone has to respect Sanatan Dharma, he affirmed. Shri Veereshananda Swami of Tumkur talked about the anti-Hindu propaganda being carried out in Christian educational institutions like, not allowing students to wear tilak on their forehead, not allowing girl students to wear bangles and restriction for girls on wearing rings. Shri Sureshwarananda Swami of Gosai Mutt requested the people not to worry about the current situation as God will bless us with more and more Hindu heroes like Shivaji Maharaj in future and Hindusism will rule the entire world. Swami Nirbhayananda Saraswati Maharaj of Gadag, Swami Yogeshwarananda Saraswati Maharaj of Shri Ramakrishna Yogashram, Shri Chandrashe-kharananda Giri Swami of Arya Vaisya Maha Sansthan, Shri Abhaya Chaitanya Swami of Shri Ramakrishna Sewa Trust, Bengaluru, Shri Shivasunder Swamigal of Kabirnath Brahmavidyashrama, Shri Bhavani Das Swami of Bhavanipeeth Gurunath Ashram, Shri Ramanujacharya Swami of Melukote, Shri Malayashantamuni Shivacharya Swami of Shivaganga Mutt, Shri Chidganaswam of Ganjam Mutt and officebearers of Dharma Raksha Vedike, Karnataka and Shri Mahantalingashivacharya Swami of Vibhutipur Mutt and others were present on the occasion. Shri S Ramanna, a senior RSS pracharak, also spoke on the occasion.
