The Crossbill News Desk
A two-day conclave advocating the idea of a Hindu nation was held at Delhi’s Bharat Mandapam on December 13 and 14 with the participation of senior ministers from both the Union and Delhi governments, marking an unusual instance of direct state association with an event where speakers openly questioned India’s secular constitutional framework.
The programme, titled the Sanatan Rashtra Sankhanad Mahotsav, was organised by Save Culture Save Bharat Foundation and Sanatan Sanstha in association with the Union ministry of culture and the Delhi government’s tourism department, Alt News reported.
The event featured speeches and discussions calling for the creation of a Hindu Rashtra, the mass deportation and conversion of Muslims, and even proposals to amend the Constitution of India to formally declare the country a Hindu nation.
All banners and publicity material prominently displayed the names and logos of both the Union and Delhi governments, giving the gathering official visibility and institutional backing.
Union ministers Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Shripad Nayak and Sanjay Seth, along with Delhi tourism and culture minister Kapil Mishra, addressed the gathering alongside a number of right-wing ideologues. Their presence, and the formal involvement of government departments, lent legitimacy to speakers who openly challenged the secular foundations of the Indian republic.
At a press conference on December 8, the organisers had set out the ideological direction of the event. Describing it as a two-day “Ganga of Knowledge,” they said it would explore the concept of Sanatan Rashtra.
Abhay Vardhak, chairman of Sanatan Sanstha, declared that Sanatan Rashtra was not merely an idea but the very “soul of our nation.”
He said the programme was meant to promote the ideology of a Hindu Rashtra and educate participants about the glory and gallantry of the Maratha kings, whom the organisers claimed had compelled the Mughals to leave the country. According to Sanatan Sanstha, over 3,000 delegates and representatives from more than 800 Hindu organisations across India were expected to attend.
Sanatan Sanstha, founded in Goa in 1999 by ‘hypnotherapist’ Jayant Balaji Athavale, is a Hindutva organisation that has come under the scanner of law enforcement agencies. The Karnataka police are currently investigating the Sanstha in connection with the murders of journalists and rationalists Gauri Lankesh and M M Kalaburgi, although the organisation has consistently denied any involvement in these killings.
The other organiser, Save Culture Save Bharat Foundation, was founded by Uday Mahurkar, a follower of Veer Savarkar’s ideology. Mahurkar has authored two books, one on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s governance and another on Savarkar.
The foundation campaigns for what it describes as the protection of Indian culture and seeks stricter laws and enforcement against “obscene, vulgar, and sexual content” on OTT platforms, social media and in films, including a ban on pornography in India.
Addressing the conclave, Union culture and tourism minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said the country was living through “an era of cultural renaissance.”
He described the centuries following the demolition of the Ram Mandir as a prolonged period of cultural darkness, as if ‘the sun of India’s culture had set’, only now redeemed through its reconstruction, that ‘the radiance of India’s cultural heritage’ began to be visible across the country.
Shekhawat added, “With the establishment of the Ram Mandir, today India’s culture, its cultural values and knowledge that arose from India’s land are being re-recognised across the world with anew respect and acceptance.”
“Our country is undergoing an era of cultural renaissance.”
He also extended his gratitude and respect to the Sanatan Sanstha for organising the Sanatan Shankhnad, which he described as a symbol of cultural revival.
Delhi tourism and culture minister Kapil Mishra openly welcomed the government’s role in facilitating the event and used his speech to deliver sharply polarising remarks.
“The thought of organising an event like this in the heart of the capital of India was beyond imagination about 10-11 years ago, with the support of not only the state government but also the government of India. Even if we wanted to organise a discussion, we had to carefully think about where to sit, where to deliberate, and where to conduct it. It was almost assumed that any contemplation or discussion on the nation’s major challenges would have to be controlled or regulated by the government. But today, when we look at this platform, we see both ‘ministry of culture’ and ‘Delhi Tourism’ written here,” Alt News quoted Mishra as saying.
Mishra further assured the organisers of continued official backing.
“On behalf of the Delhi government, I can say that whatever programmes you organise in this manner, we stand fully alongside you with all our support and strength.”
In his address, he made a series of remarks targeting the Muslim community.
“Only when somebody is completely disconnected from Sanatan Dharma and the fundamental nature of humanity, can someone study, become educated, even become a doctor, and then make plans about how to kill people,” he said.
“When women are confined, oppressed, denied education, crushed, and subjected to abuses such as triple talaq and halala, the offspring born from such suppressed maternal power may emerge with similarly toxic traits. However, if maternal power radiates with the strength of Jagadamba, for every jihadi that one attempts to create, a Shivaji will be born.”
By contrasting Hindu cultural ideals with those associated with Muslims, Mishra framed his speech in an explicit ‘us versus them’ narrative. He also underlined what he described as the need to fight ‘Love Jihad,’ alleging that severe atrocities were being committed against “our” women.
The event, with its open calls for a Hindu Rashtra and its government co-branding, has drawn attention for bringing together state authority and ideologues who challenge the secular character of the Indian Constitution, a convergence that critics say marks a significant shift in the public legitimisation of such ideas.
The programme, titled the Sanatan Rashtra Sankhanad Mahotsav, was organised by Save Culture Save Bharat Foundation and Sanatan Sanstha in association with the Union ministry of culture and the Delhi government’s tourism department, Alt News reported.
The event featured speeches and discussions calling for the creation of a Hindu Rashtra, the mass deportation and conversion of Muslims, and even proposals to amend the Constitution of India to formally declare the country a Hindu nation.
All banners and publicity material prominently displayed the names and logos of both the Union and Delhi governments, giving the gathering official visibility and institutional backing.
Union ministers Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Shripad Nayak and Sanjay Seth, along with Delhi tourism and culture minister Kapil Mishra, addressed the gathering alongside a number of right-wing ideologues. Their presence, and the formal involvement of government departments, lent legitimacy to speakers who openly challenged the secular foundations of the Indian republic.
At a press conference on December 8, the organisers had set out the ideological direction of the event. Describing it as a two-day “Ganga of Knowledge,” they said it would explore the concept of Sanatan Rashtra.
Abhay Vardhak, chairman of Sanatan Sanstha, declared that Sanatan Rashtra was not merely an idea but the very “soul of our nation.”
He said the programme was meant to promote the ideology of a Hindu Rashtra and educate participants about the glory and gallantry of the Maratha kings, whom the organisers claimed had compelled the Mughals to leave the country. According to Sanatan Sanstha, over 3,000 delegates and representatives from more than 800 Hindu organisations across India were expected to attend.
Sanatan Sanstha, founded in Goa in 1999 by ‘hypnotherapist’ Jayant Balaji Athavale, is a Hindutva organisation that has come under the scanner of law enforcement agencies. The Karnataka police are currently investigating the Sanstha in connection with the murders of journalists and rationalists Gauri Lankesh and M M Kalaburgi, although the organisation has consistently denied any involvement in these killings.
The other organiser, Save Culture Save Bharat Foundation, was founded by Uday Mahurkar, a follower of Veer Savarkar’s ideology. Mahurkar has authored two books, one on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s governance and another on Savarkar.
The foundation campaigns for what it describes as the protection of Indian culture and seeks stricter laws and enforcement against “obscene, vulgar, and sexual content” on OTT platforms, social media and in films, including a ban on pornography in India.
Addressing the conclave, Union culture and tourism minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said the country was living through “an era of cultural renaissance.”
He described the centuries following the demolition of the Ram Mandir as a prolonged period of cultural darkness, as if ‘the sun of India’s culture had set’, only now redeemed through its reconstruction, that ‘the radiance of India’s cultural heritage’ began to be visible across the country.
Glimpses from the 'Shankhnad Mahotsav', which was graced by Sh Gajendra Singh Shekhawat (@gssjodhpur), Hon'ble Minister of Culture & Tourism, Govt of India. (1/4) #VandeMataram150 #CultureUnitesAll pic.twitter.com/oECUBUt7UX
— Ministry of Culture (@MinOfCultureGoI) December 15, 2025
Shekhawat added, “With the establishment of the Ram Mandir, today India’s culture, its cultural values and knowledge that arose from India’s land are being re-recognised across the world with anew respect and acceptance.”
“Our country is undergoing an era of cultural renaissance.”
He also extended his gratitude and respect to the Sanatan Sanstha for organising the Sanatan Shankhnad, which he described as a symbol of cultural revival.
Delhi tourism and culture minister Kapil Mishra openly welcomed the government’s role in facilitating the event and used his speech to deliver sharply polarising remarks.
“The thought of organising an event like this in the heart of the capital of India was beyond imagination about 10-11 years ago, with the support of not only the state government but also the government of India. Even if we wanted to organise a discussion, we had to carefully think about where to sit, where to deliberate, and where to conduct it. It was almost assumed that any contemplation or discussion on the nation’s major challenges would have to be controlled or regulated by the government. But today, when we look at this platform, we see both ‘ministry of culture’ and ‘Delhi Tourism’ written here,” Alt News quoted Mishra as saying.
Mishra further assured the organisers of continued official backing.
“On behalf of the Delhi government, I can say that whatever programmes you organise in this manner, we stand fully alongside you with all our support and strength.”
In his address, he made a series of remarks targeting the Muslim community.
“Only when somebody is completely disconnected from Sanatan Dharma and the fundamental nature of humanity, can someone study, become educated, even become a doctor, and then make plans about how to kill people,” he said.
“When women are confined, oppressed, denied education, crushed, and subjected to abuses such as triple talaq and halala, the offspring born from such suppressed maternal power may emerge with similarly toxic traits. However, if maternal power radiates with the strength of Jagadamba, for every jihadi that one attempts to create, a Shivaji will be born.”
By contrasting Hindu cultural ideals with those associated with Muslims, Mishra framed his speech in an explicit ‘us versus them’ narrative. He also underlined what he described as the need to fight ‘Love Jihad,’ alleging that severe atrocities were being committed against “our” women.
The event, with its open calls for a Hindu Rashtra and its government co-branding, has drawn attention for bringing together state authority and ideologues who challenge the secular character of the Indian Constitution, a convergence that critics say marks a significant shift in the public legitimisation of such ideas.
Comments (0)
Leave a Comment