Dhirendra Shastri's 10-Day March: Why He Rejects Casteism Amid Hindu Unity Push

In an interview with ANI, Shastri emphasised the need to rise above caste-based divisions and clarified that the initiative is inclusive, stating, "We are not against Muslims or Christians."

"We want no poison to be spread in the name of casteism... We want Hindus, Hindutva, and Hindustan to be celebrated in this country. We are not against Muslims or Christians. We cannot compensate for the decline in Hindu numbers, the fear that Hindus are experiencing, the atrocities that are being committed or have been committed against Hindus," he said.

The padyatra aims to reach villages, streets, and communities along the route to embrace Hindus from every corner.

The Spiritual leader added, "This country won't become a Hindu nation by travelling in a Defender or Fortuner. We will have to go to every village, every street, every nook and corner. Only then will Hindus survive, only then will Hindus awaken. Therefore, we are undertaking this padayatra, a 10-day walk from Delhi to Vrindavan, from November 7th to 16th, to embrace Hindus in every village and every street..."

Addressing the purpose of the padyatra, Shastri stressed moving beyond divisive conflicts, stating, "We're fighting in the name of religion, and that's causing diversion. We're fighting in the name of castes, which is also pushing the country into the abyss. So why not find a solution- let's focus our energy on rising above the conflicts of caste, religion, and regionalism, and start living for nationalism. This is the motive of our padayatra..."

Shastri also addressed recent controversies, such as the 'I Love Mohammed' row, to clarify his stance on religious harmony.

"I have no problem at all. We supported it. But when I say 'I Love Mahadev', you should not have any problem. And secondly, do not make statements like 'Sar Tan se Juda'. This is against the law of the country. It is against the Constitution of the country. Look at all our statements so far. We have said only one thing. We do not believe in sword fights. We believe in the battle of ideas," he said.

On concerns about rising Hindu radicalization, Shastri clarified that radicalism, in his view, does not equate to violence.

"If radicalism does not involve violence against anyone, then it is okay. Radicalism does not mean violence; it means protecting oneself... If in the name of radicalism you slit throats, destroy temples and mosques, tear down banners of gods, burn the Ramcharit Manas and Ramayana, slaughter cows, demand proof of the existence of Ram, then this is foolishness. This is stupidity. Radicalism means promoting your culture. It is a law of the Constitution that you can freely propagate your culture, your Sanatan," he said during the interview.

- ANI