 The Monk Who Became Chief Minister; Shantanu Gupta; Bloomsbury India; Pp 164; Rs 299 |
The book unravels the life and politics of UP Chief Minister
Ameya Salpekar
The Monk who became Chief Minister profiles Yogi Adityanath in four sections: his formative years, as the Chief Priest of the Gorakhdham Mutt, as a five time MP in the past and as the Chief Minister of UP.
Yogi Adityanath, born as Ajay Mohan Singh Bisht, on June 5, 1972, is one of the country’s preeminent political heralds, whose exertions towards steering India towards a better tomorrow need no exposition. The Monk Who Became Chief Minister is a well-researched biography of Yogi Adityanath, abounding with facts and data.
The book sheds light on the phenomenon called Yogi Adityanath. As Dr David Frawley (Vamadeva Shastri) puts it in the foreword of this book, “Yogi Adityanath has not only a vast spiritual heritage but also the extensive government experience necessary to run such a large state as UP,
taking an active role in Lok Sabha functions and committees over the years. Yogi Adityanath reflects yogic attitudes and values in his working to improve education, increase infrastructure, and counter crime and corruption.”
Making of the Yogi
Born in the days of Bhartiya Jana Sangh, while Kamlapati Tripathi of INC was the Chief Minister of UP, Adityanath must have seen the emergency at a very young age. By the time he entered politics, the Bhartiya Janata Party was already a political force to be reckoned with.
Outraged by the game the Indian National Congress has always played for short term political gains and the derogation of Hindutva in the name of protecting secular fabric, when it was time to choose, Yogi aligned himself with the BJP.
Author Shantanu Gupta has established a fascinating account of the transformative young leader, delving into all the depths necessary,
personal, public and spiritual, in order to actualise a record of the Hindu Shaivite guru.
Even as a student, Yogi was quite politically active. In his days as a student at the PG Government College at Kotdwar, he was at the forefront of all events organised by the ABVP,
student wing of RSS. Interestingly, despite being persuaded by his brother-in- law to consider joining the SFI (students’ wing of CPM) where he used to work, Yogi found himself more comfortable with the ABVP.
Yogi Adityanath’s first tryst with politics began in 1996, when he was named in charge of managing the election campaign for Mahant Avaidyanath. Yogi was declared the nominee in 1998, upon the retirement of Avaidyanath from active politics. Yogi Adityanath went on to win the Gorakhpur seat in every Lok Sabha election 1998 onwards.
Yogi’s vyapak jan-sampark (massive mass contact) is the direct outcome of his role as the head priest of an ancient mutt. The formation of Hindu Yuva Vahini in 2002 further stregthened that across the sections. His speeches and statements, received media attention since then and he was portrayed in a bad light. Despite being haunted by the paid leftist media, he stood resolute upon his views, the views of his party i.e. undiluted nationalism. This has also been the source of discomfort between him and a number of BJP leaders. Despite his ‘periodic’ so called revolts, Yogi Adityanath has a good camaraderie with the RSS and BJP leaders.
The New Innings
This book gives a sound argument, defending the need for a nationalist political leadership to quarterback national affairs. Yogi, the man who piloted the crackdown on Illegal slaughterhouses, Farmes’ Loan Waiver, Power for All and other ambitious projects, also set a new model for the young politicians that is worth emulating.
Quoting a report of ABP News, the author contrasts the mindless media propaganda against Yogi with the reality. “Dr Mushtaq, who runs a clinic in Gorakhpur told ABP News reporter Pratima Mishra that a wrong image of Yogi Adityanath is being created and that their community was very happy with their Maharaj Ji becoming the Chief Minister. Dr Mushtaq specially mentioned that in a crowd of 50-100 people, Maharaj Ji spots the person in a beard or Muslim attire and always attends to him or her in priority.”
Being a Sanyasi, Yogi finds no difference between his private and public life. The biography throws lights on his life, apart from being a politician, his daily rigorous routine and other matters. His day starts at 3:00 in the early morning. May be it is one of the reasons behind the undeniable successes of Yogi Adityanath. There is no surprise that he hasn’t gone or led astray, owing to his incorruptible way of life and philosophy based on edicts of the Sanatana Dharma.
“Usually after finishing the morning’s janta darbar, Yogi Adityanath leaves for his constituency, visiting villages, schools, hospitals, institutions, solving issues, disputes and returns to the temple by 5 or 6 pm. After coming back he spends time with the cows at the gaushala (cow shed) and then goes to his room to freshen up for the evening pooja (prayers). After 9 pm, he meets academicians, principals and other intellectuals till 10:30-11pm up in his room and only then ends his day,” narrated at one place in the book.
Pradeep Rao, a close aide, says that it is like a punishment to accompany him for breakfasts or lunches as the food he eats is too bland.
Yogi Adityanath is inspiring others to follow the same tough schedule even in the Chief Minister’s residence and office. The only difference now is that people in his janta darbars come from the whole of Uttar Pradesh and now he has the state’s apparatus at his disposal to solve people’s issues.
I would recommend this book to all those who wish to explore the life of Yogi Adityanath, not only as a Chief Minister but also as the Mahant of a Mutt, as a devoted Shaivite, as an activist and even as a son. The biography covers multiple dimensions of the unparalleled life of Yogi, as rightly put in the title, the phenomenal transformation of a Yogi into the Chief Minister of a state. n
