Buddhist Monks Join Farmers, Deliver A Powerful Message
‘Religion has taught us not to be mute spectators to social injustices’
Suresh K Pandey/Outlook
outlookindia.com
2021-02-14T07:59:56+05:30
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Close to the Ghazipur demonstration forum, Buddhist monks have pitched a tent to lend their support to the farmers’ protest. The maroon-robed monks, who claim to be apolitical with strong roots in the farming community, arrived early December before the government crackdowns escalated. The barricades, ditches, concertina wires, shutdowns, and round-the-clock police surveillance following the January 26 violence, have strengthened their resolve to bolster the movement.
While Hindu seers, akhada religious leaders and representatives of Christian trusts have shown their solidarity by moving in and out of the protest sites, the Buddhists have remained robustly stationed. One is tempted to ask what the followers of Buddha’s teachings have to do with the farmers’ protests. Are they here to surcharge a common cause for a while?