YOGI  ADITYANATH

                                      

The Monk Who Became The Chief Minister by Shantanu Gupta ; Published by Bloomsbury ; Pages 133 ; Price Rs. 299/-

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U. P is actually Uttar Pradesh but often called  “Ulta Pradesh”. We have a Saint who is the Chief Minister—Mahant  Yogi Adityanath who absents himself for full five days spending it as Mahant of Goraknath Panth. Who is this gentleman?.

An attempt has been made to unravel the mystery by Shantanu Gupta who is the Founder of a leading youth-based organisation “Yuva Foundation” working with youth on several subjects. Earlier he was a Management Consultant in Switzerland, Cyprus, Hungary and Israel.

The book under review is  the first definitive biography of a monk who has become the Chief Minister of the most populous state of India. It captures the journey of a shy and introvert boy from the hills of Uttarakhand to the post of  Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. It is a journey of one  who had a modern education in the faculties of science from Kotdwar, later took sanyas and went through rigorous training in vedic education. He has emerged as a man of consensus . This book explores how a Nathpanthi monk, learnt the nuances of politics from his Guru, Mahant Avaidyanath, and rose to take the highest position in Uttar Pradesh’s politics.

Adityanath contested and became a member of the Lok Sabha from Gorakhpur at the age of 26, the youngest person ever elected to the Lok Sabha. He took over the seat from his own Guru Mahant Avaidyanath. His Mutt has many upliftment programmes for all segments of society, including women,  youth and  poor.

 The author has conducted  extensive research and  accumulated rare pictures, held  first-time interviews, with people close to the Yogi. It is replete with extensive factual data and illuminating comments. U P has  22 crore people and 80 Lok Sabha seats and  is  crucial in India’s political map. It has given  many Prime Ministers . U P has a population of over 200 million people ---more than five countries of the world. Misrule and nepotism has kept it as one of the most backward States of India. The State faces  issues in every sphere of life-- Communal harmony, industrial development, employment opportunities, poverty, illiteracy, corruption and criminal activities gone beyond control coupled with decades of family/clan/caste-based governments. It will take several lifetimes of cleansing  Is Yogi Adityanath that kind of leader?

 This biography has four sections. The first section is about the current role of Yogi Adityanath as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh and his first days in office. The second section discusses his tenure as parliamentarian from the Gorakhpur constituency. It elaborates on his electoral victories, interventions in parliament, controversial speeches, and his thoughts on Love Jihad, religious conversion, Hindu Yuva Vahini, and his relationship with the Bharatiya Janata Party The third section discusses Yogi's life as Mahant of Gorakhpur Mutt and his yogic routine. It deals with  “Nath Pant”’, the “Mahant Tradition” and the welfare activities of the “Goraknath Mutt’ .We are furnished a history of Gorakhpur and the role of the Mutt in its development. The last section discusses Adityanath's youth and his upbringing as Ajay Kumar Bisht in the hinterlands of  Uttarakhand among cows, farms and mountains.

Narendra  Modi’s team scored an incredible 325 out of 403 seats in the most populous state of India—U P - which has 9 different dialects of Hindi, has an average population density of 828 persons per km², has more caste groups than one can count and is a mini country in itself. This was no mean feat. On 19 March 2017, Yogi Adityanath took oath as  Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. He had won the Gorakhpur seat 5 times and proved his  invincibility. Yogi Adityanath has a remarkable hold on  the 60 Vidhan Sabha seats in Poorvanchal.

Yogi Adityanath was Ajay Singh Bisht, who left his family at the age of 21 and became a disciple of Mahant Avaidyanath, the then Mahanth of Gorakhnath Mutt. Bisht, then went on to become the Mahant of the Shrine following the death of Mahant Aavaidyanath .

The Chief Minister  has great faith in Janta Darbars which helped him to keep a tab on the pulse of the people and know the performance of public office and Officers.Gupta’s strenuous efforts to justify Ghar Wapsi, Anti-Romeo Squads and Hindu Yuva Vahini are not exactly acceptable.

The book largely seems to be an exercise in veneration, as the author offers a painstaking defence of Adityanath’s role in controversial ‘Love Jihad’ and Hindu Yuva Vahini campaigns. It praises him for injecting discipline into Lucknow’s bureaucracy, waiving farm loans and cracking down on crime.

The book begins on  a promising note, but does not provide an unbiased portrait  of the leader. The Foreword  is from Dr. David Frawley, founder-director of the American Institute of Vedic Studies, New Mexico – who is also known as Vamdeva Shastri.

P.P.Ramachandran.

15 / 10 / 2017