‘Sajag Raho’ Campaign Launched to Counter Caste Hatred Ahead of Maharashtra Assembly Elections

Pune, 4th October 2024: As many as 65 social organizations have decided to come together to start the ‘Sajag Raho’ campaign on the backdrop of upcoming assembly elections in the state of Maharashtra. This was announced during a Press Conference held in the city today.

Representatives of various social organizations including Padmashree Girish Prabhune, Former IAS Officer Avinash Dharmadhikari, Xitij Texas Gaikwad from the Ambedkari Movement, Dalit Literature Scholar Dr Dhananjay Bhise and Adv Abhijit Deshmukh were present during this Press Conference.

It was informed during the Press Conference that the ‘Sajag Raho’ campaign shall be run with an objective to make the state of Maharashtra ‘Hatred Free’. Since the past 10 years the country is making speedy progress on various fronts with the target set for ‘Vikasit Bharat’. It has been observed that caste hatred is being systematically created in the state of Maharashtra, which has the rich history of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj uniting people from all castes and creeds in the successful fight for Swarajya. To counter this issue in the poll bound progressive state of Maharashtra the time has come to take a strong stand against the narratives that spread caste hatred such an awareness campaign is needed, opined the dignitaries present in the Press conference.

During the Press Conference it was informed that About 200 plus individuals having a strong social work background from over 65 social organizations attended the recent meeting held in Pune where the idea to initiate ‘Sajag Raho’ campaign was conceived.

Some of them include noted author Padmashree Namdeo Kamble, Veteran Social Worker Padmashree Girish Prabhune,  Dr Dhananjay Bhise from the Matang Sahitya Parishad, Former IAS Officer Avinash Dharmadhikari, Founder of Sudarshan Channel Suresh Chavhanke, Xitij Gaikwad from the Ambedkari movement, renowned television personality Dr Uday Nirgudkar, Pradeep Rawat from the Vivek Vichar Manch and Jagdish Kadam Trustee of Shivsrushti.

Large number of welfare schemes were introduced and successfully implemented for the scheduled caste, scheduled tribe and various backward communalities in the past 10 years. However, some political personalities and hypocritical social institutions are misleading these backward  communities with some extremely fake narratives that also had some impact during the recent Loksabha elections.

However, such an effort to disturb the harmony in state of Maharashtra, which is often referred as the growth engine of the country needs to be dealt with a strong and informative drive like Sajag Raho so that the attempts to create rifts in the Hindu community are countered felt the dignitaries present during this Press Conference.