New Delhi, October 22 (H.S.): The sixth edition of the Sanskriti Sansad (Culture Parliament) will be held at the Rudraksh International Convention Centre in Varanasi from November 3 to 5 under the aegis of the Ganga Mahasabha and under the guidance of the Akhil Bharatiya Sant Samiti and the Kashi Vidwat Parishad. The organisers expect around 2,000 saints and 7,000 young people to participate in the event.

Addressing a press conference in New Delhi on Thursday, Sunil Deodhar, Chairman of the Sanskriti Sansad Organising Committee, said the initiative was launched in 2014 with the objective of bringing artists, writers and intellectuals associated with nationalist thought onto a common platform. Since then, the event has been organised every two years, and this year will mark its sixth edition.

Deodhar said discussions at the Sanskriti Sansad would focus on the challenges facing Hindu society, what the organisers described as misleading narratives surrounding Hindutva, and issues related to nationalism. A voluntary code of conduct will also be presented with the stated objectives of raising awareness within Hindu society and contributing to India's aspiration to become a *Vishwaguru*, or a global leader.

He alleged that Hindu society was facing attacks from multiple directions and that misleading narratives were being deliberately propagated. He said the proposed voluntary code would seek to raise awareness about these issues, outline measures for the future of Hindu society and contribute to the vision of India becoming a *Vishwaguru*.

According to Deodhar, around 2,000 saints and, for the first time, 7,000 young people are expected to attend the event. He claimed that the participation of young people would challenge what he described as a false narrative that all young people supported the “Cockroach Janata Party”. He asserted that millions of young Indians supported Hindutva, patriotism, nationalism and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Deodhar also said the event would address what he described as misconceptions about the Manusmriti. He alleged that the English version of the text produced during British rule was inaccurate and argued that its translation had been influenced by the colonial policy of “divide and rule”. Claiming that the original manuscript of the Manusmriti was unavailable, he questioned the reliability of a translation produced by a British translator.

He said discussions would seek to address these alleged misconceptions and raise awareness among Dalits and other disadvantaged, distressed and marginalised sections of society. He maintained that the text did not contain the statements attributed to it in certain interpretations.

Referring to protests by the “Cockroach Janata Party” and opposition parties, Deodhar questioned why the demonstrations had been organised during Navratri rather than during Eid or Christmas. He alleged that the protests were intended to disrupt the businesses of poor street vendors and Hindu traders during the festive season.

He noted that Navratri and Diwali are major shopping periods, when people purchase clothing and other goods, and accused the protesters of attempting to bring the country’s commercial activity to a standstill at this crucial time. Although, he claimed, the attempt had not succeeded, he questioned the timing of the protests and the impact they could have had on traders and small businesses.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar