How Kabir's Maghar defies Modi's constituency Kashi
Kabir’s school of thought also stands in complete contrast to the BJP's brand of Hindutva.
Kabir's year of birth is unclear. Some say the iconoclast mystic poet was born in 1398, some 1440.
But what's certain is he lived most of his life in Benares – now Varanasi. In his own writings, he called himself a julaha, or a weaver. He was fiercely critical of rituals, both Hindu and Muslim, the clergy, and beliefs he regarded as fanatically superstitious.
In the primary Sikh scripture, Sri Guru Granth Sahib, Kabir’s writings make up the largest part of the Bhagat Bani, a generic term for the writings of contributors other than the Gurus.
When Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Kabir’s samadhi in Maghar recently, some political pundits were quick to presume that it would help Modi expand his reach among the Dalits. I don't fully agree with their conclusion, because Kabir’s Maghar worldview flies in the face of Modi's existing support base.
Undoubtedly, the spiritual poet is loved by a large number of Hindus and Muslims. His thoughts did also shape up the Kabir Panth, a sect that draws its members specially – but not exclusively – from the Dalit community.
That said, the name Kabir, in the present democratic politics, doesn't inspire any organised vote bloc.
But what it does is symbolise a total rejection of doctrines that form the centre-piece of Modi’s Varanasi.
In his falling years, Kabir chose Maghar over Kashi. The former discarded by the Hindu clergy as a gateway to hell, and the latter worshipped as a ladder of salvation.
The belief still persists, especially among the Hindu faithful with deep reverence for Varanasi.
Back then though, Kabir levelled both of them. Rather, he described the time he spent in Benares as a futile exercise.
"Taji Le Benares, Mat Bhai Bori," reads his verse in Sri Guru Granth Sahib, meaning "I left Benares; I lost sense."
"Sagal Janam Siv Puri Gawaiya; Marti Baar Maghar Uth Aiya," Kabir continues. "I wasted my whole life in the town of Shiv but moved to Maghar at the time of my death."
He juxtaposed both the places, otherwise diametrically opposite in the contemporary Hindu tradition. "Kaasi Maghar Sam Bichari; Ochchi Bhagat Kaisey Utras Paari” – “I regard both Maghar and Kashi as the same. How can you swim across with inadequate devotion (be it in Kashi or in Maghar)?”
In a separate hymn, he again denounces notions of divinity linked to geographical locations.
“Kya Kaasi, Kya Ookhar Maghar Ram Riday Jao Hoi” – “What's the difference between Kashi and a barren Maghar when divinity resides within?”
In another composition, he elevates Maghar above Varanasi in the realm of spirituality. “Torey Bharose Maghar Basiyo, Mere Man Ki Tapat Bhujai; Pehle Darsan Maghar Paiyo, Phun Kaasi Basey Aaee” – “I relied upon You to douse my internal fire. I sighted Your vision in Maghar before I turned to Kashi.”
Kabir’s school of thought also stands in complete contrast to the BJP's brand of Hindutva.
“What really counted, for Kabir, was utter fidelity to the one deathless truth of life, which he associated equally with the designations Allah and Ram — the latter understood as a general Hindu name for the divine," explains Encyclopedia Britannica in a chapter on the saint.
No one's good, no one's evil, Kabir wrote. All are Allah’s creations – “Awal Allah Noor Upaaya, Kudrat Ke Sab Bande; Ek Noor Te Sab Jag Upjiya, Kaon Bhalle, Ko Mande."
In a nutshell, Kabir tore into Hindu and Muslim orthodoxies. He opposed idol worship and circumcision alike. He rejected holy dips and theories of heaven and hell. He condemned the caste system.
Kabir focused solely on humility. His world was inner. His purpose of life: quiet contemplation.
Whether or not Modi's Maghar tour strikes a chord with the larger Dalit vote bloc, his gesture is surely a bold move, given sentiments of his tried-and-tested constituency embodied in Varanasi.
Remember how he venerated the ancient Hindu city after filing his Lok Sabha nomination in 2014: “I thought I was going to Kashi. But now I realise I was neither sent nor I came here on my own. I am here at the call of Mother Ganga.”
In the last year of his term, Modi is in Maghar – an antithesis to Varanasi in Hindu philosophy. Indeed, an audacious leader.