Guwahati, June 20: The society for Srimanta Sankaradeba today criticised Assam governor Banwarilal Purohit for his alleged remark that Vaishnavite saint Srimanta Xankardeb did not do anything to remove the malaise of child marriage.
Purohit had said this during a meeting at Maniari Mahapurushiya Sattra in Kamrup district on Sunday.
"This is an offensive statement. The governor should have known that the saint reformed the entire society in Assam and brought the ethnic groups together through a unified cultural bond. Srimanta Xankardeb worked in the arena of child marriage also," said Sanjib Kumar Borkakoti, president of the society, which works to preserve and promote the ideals of Xankardeb.
Borkatoki said Xankardeb took a revolutionary step while marrying 15-year-old Kalindi. "His first wife Suryavati was also 14-year-old. Fourteen or 15 years was considered as too high an age for a girl to get married in those times. So this itself was a call against child marriage during those times," said Borkakoti.
"The statement of Purohit reflects the lack of his understanding about life and works of Srimanta Xankardeb... We request the honourable governor and through him every one to study the life and works of the saint so that no such distortion or misrepresentation occurs in future," he said.
Responding to Borkakoti in a statement released from the Raj Bhavan, Purohit said the issue has been "misunderstood and blown out of context".
"The governor quoted from page 167 paragraph 3 of a book, The Mystical Thoughts of Sri Sri Sankardeva and Sri Sri Madhabdeva by Nirupama Mahanta," the statement said.
In the book Mahanta wrote, "In the first place, as social reformers, Xankardeb and Madhavdeva undoubtedly occupy an elevated position. They have made immense contributions to construct an ideal society free from the evil elements like superstitions, caste prejudice, untouchability. But, Xankardeb and Madhavdeva have ignored one serious type of social evil. It is the child marriage. The child marriage is certainly a bad social custom. Xankardeb and Madhavdeva are found not to make any attempt to abolish child marriage."
The governor quoted Mahanta verbatim.
Purohit said he has highest reverence for both the Vaishnavite saints.
