Bhopal, February 12 The transgender community is facing "Kinnar Jihad" and will appoint its own 'Shankaracharya', 'Mahamandaleshwars', and 'Mahants' during the upcoming Mahashivratri to address this threat, a community leader said on Thursday.
The inauguration ceremony will take place on February 15 in the Lalghati area of Bhopal, according to Rishi Ajay Das, the 50-year-old founder of India's first Kinnar Akhada. The identity of the chosen 'Shankaracharya' will be revealed during the event, he told
"Around 250 transgender individuals in Bhopal will reconvert to Hinduism on that day," he added.
Das, who holds a postgraduate degree in science and formed the Kinnar Akhada during the 2016 Simhastha Kumbh Mela in Ujjain, alleged that the community is facing "Islamisation" and exploitation. He stated that the living spaces of transgender individuals have become secure zones for "Jihadis" because the general public and the police avoid these areas.
Transgender leader Kajal Thakur, who is part of the initiative, had recently alleged that Hindu transgender individuals were being forced to convert to Islam, and certain individuals within the community had links to terror funding in Pakistan and Bangladesh.
According to sources within the community, the group has decided to establish a 'peeth' (seat) at Pushkar in Rajasthan, which will serve as the permanent seat of their 'Shankaracharya'. Pushkar was chosen because it houses the only temple dedicated to Lord Brahma.
A group of protesters, supported by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, submitted a memorandum to the Bhopal collector on Tuesday, alleging that a local transgender leader was involved in "Kinnar jihad" and forced conversions.