104.  Stage of Instability Begins: The destruction of sectors that are essential for the strength and development of a society has disastrous consequences. The K.K.P community is an example of this. Their life-inspiring hopes were crushed, leading to widespread despair. This created a situation where common people were too afraid to protest against wrongdoing and immoral behaviour. This marks the first stage of society’s downfall.

Let us now examine the second phase of society’s decline and try to comprehend it. We will investigate the reasons behind the instability in society. For further information, please refer to points (21). Even though there was an unanticipated delay in severing the Hindu roots, efforts to spread “destabilization” throughout the community persisted during that time.

105.  Financial Exploitation: We can comprehend that in any religion, voluntary donations play a significant role. However, when donations become obligatory rather than voluntary, they transform into a form of taxation. This can lead to exploitation of the followers by those overseeing the religious affairs. Similarly, in Satpanth, something akin to this occurs under the guise of charity.

Charitable acts are a common theme across many religions, including Satpanth. In the Dashavatar Granth and other Satpanth scriptures, it is emphasized that those who give Dasond³⁴ to Satpanthi with complete devotion will earn the title of a true Satpanthi. As a result, only true Satpanthis will be able to go to Amarapuri after they die and will rule the earth for 1.25 lakh years at the end of Kali Yuga. Those who do not comply with this teaching will suffer the torment of hell.

As per the scriptures, the desire to attain Amarapuri (heaven) and the temptation to rule for 1.25 lakh years, coupled with the fear of hell (as described in [88 Page 371] of the holy book) can exert a lot of pressure on a common devotee. This kind of greed and fear can make a person go through countless sufferings and oppressions. However, it is important to stay strong and not give in to these temptations.

105.1. Dasond / Dashans: To donate 10% of yearly income or earnings. Property value increase should be factored in [85:Page 26, Point 6] [88:Page 127, 497].

105.2. Visond / Vishans: Same as Dasond, but giving 20% instead of 10% [148:Page 24].

105.3. Variants: Page 545 of the great treatise Pirana Pol, written by Sri Narayanji Ramji Limbani, a reformer of the community, provides a comprehensive list of taxes and levies imposed on Satpanthis.[88:Page 545] 

A proposed list of certain taxes³⁵ and levies³⁶ is given below. Please note that there may be additional taxes and fees in addition to this list.

1)     Tax of converting boys to Satpanth after birth

2)     When the brothers who have gone abroad³⁷ come back to the country³⁸, should take the Noor Paval³⁹ for pavano/purification⁴⁰

3)     Tax on Thal and depositing money on Thursdays⁴¹ and moondays⁴²

4)     A tax of two hundred articles per person is paid⁴³ to those who go to the dead⁴⁴.

5)     To expiate⁴⁵ the sins of the deceased there was a tax of 50 to 150 Kori⁴⁶ per man

6)     Tax of 7.5 crores in case of marriage or remarriage

7)     Taxes if the population of cattle⁴⁷ increases

8)     In case of disrespect to the leaders⁴⁸ or communal offense, a fine should be paid

9)     A tax of at least 12 koris per man to paid to gurus i.e. the Syeds⁴⁹

10)   When Mujawar⁵⁰ Kako⁵¹ with Pirana⁵² will come to the country, give Shirbandhi⁵³

11)   A Sangh of approximately 400 people who come to perform the Piran Yatra every year will be paid at least Rs. 50/- to a maximum of Rs.100/-.

105.4. Misappropriation of funds:Around the year 1920, it was reported that the Pirana Satpanthi Kanbi community from Kutch had to pay a mandatory tax amounting to at least Rs. 1,50,000. This tax was in addition to the various other revenues, taxes, and levies that were collected for religious purposes and subsequently utilized by the community leaders, known as Patels (Gedheras) and Mukhis⁵⁴. Through this system, some community members were subjected to severe oppression by these so-called leaders, who exploited them to the fullest extent possible. The funds acquired through this means were then used to perpetuate further oppression within the community [88:Page 546 and 547]. Detailed information about this practice can be found in a book titled “Kachh Kadva Patidar Gyantimana Julmi Aagivanona Kaala Krutyon Upar Searchlight – Ek Prastavik Nibandh” (Searchlight on Black Deeds of Oppressive Leaders of Kutch Kadwa Patidar community – An Introductory Essay) written by the community reformer Shri Narayan Ramji Limbani [85].

106.  Exploitation through law and order: Economic exploitation occurs when people lack trust in law and order. As stated in points (76) and 78, community members were intentionally excluded from the benefits of the law. [130:Page 39] [6:Page 136].

106.1. Abusing the power they held: Those who spoke out against the leaders or gangsters were prevented from getting married and often faced abandonment or forced divorce. [130: Page 39] [6: Page 136].

106.2. Characteristics of Instability in Law and Order: To gain a better understanding of instability, let’s take a quick look at its characteristics within the field of law and order.

Common people think that;

1)     Nobody fears law and order.

2)     A lot of legal processes are influenced by wealth and power.

3)     Relying on law and order produces no results. In the long run, laws are of little use.

4)     The purpose of law and order is not primarily to benefit the poor.

106.3. Assessment of Unsettled Situation: There are no known documents or articles about the time from when the K.K.P community settled in Kutch until the reign of Keshara Parameshwara (Keshara Bapa)⁵⁵. However, a book detailing the life of Keshara Parameshwara [96] sheds light on this subject. From the information provided in the book, it is evident that the law and order situation during that period was highly unstable, which would have been particularly challenging for the K.K.P community people.

Keshara Parameshwara, also known as Keshara Bapa, had a very close relationship with the King of Kutch. The bond between them was so strong that Keshara Bapa could meet the king anytime he wanted without prior appointment, as ordered by the Darbarshri⁵⁶ himself [96:Page 74]. Additionally, Rani Saheba, wife of King Pragmalji of Kutch, was his religious sister[96:Page 93]. Similarly, he had good relations with the feudal lords in and around his village, Netra.

As per the points mentioned earlier (76), the agreement between Imamshah and the king of Kutch caused discontent among the K.K.P community. This was due to the deprivation of justice system facilities, such as police and courts, leading to frustration within the community. Consequently, the region experienced instability.

As mentioned in the book, the harassment by Satapanthi was such that, despite Keshara Bapa having the support of the King of Kutch, Keshara Mukhi⁵⁷ was often confused [96:Page 14, 62]. The leader of the Kutch Kadwa Patidar community was the law of the community[96:Page 5].

According to the book, Satapanthi’s harassment was so severe that even with the support of the King of Kutch, Due to instability in the legal system, miscreants harassed Keshara Bapa on multiple occasions.

1)    Keshara Bapa and his four friends embraced Sanatan Dharma and mobilized three Panchada communities in Vithon village to take strict action against them. [96:Page 46].

2)     One of his colleagues Mr. Abji Karsan Bhagat was brutally beaten [96:Page 54].

3)     There were occasions when there were efforts made to break Keshara Bapa’s kinship by Sanat’s colleagues. [96:Page 61] #PENDING#

4)     As a result the Maharaja of Kutch himself had to mediate between Swaminarayan Vala and Satpanth Vala [96:Page 64].

5)     Satapanthi Raya Nakrani tore up the settlement paper made by the Maharaja of Kutch [96:Page 65].

6)     Tired of the behavior of Raya Nakrani, the king of Kutch himself said that “You people who follow the old religion use too much Shirjori and it is you who fight” [96:Page 71].

7)     During the construction of the Swaminarayan temple, the old religion attempted to halt the progress by filling the foundation pit at night. However, the Raja of Kutch provided police protection and assistance to ensure the temple’s construction continued. This information can be found on [96 pages 73, 74, and 75] of source [96].

8)     Swaminarayan’s monks were attacked with bones, meat, and other impure objects. [96:Page 86].

9)     Disallowing the use of joint utensils, rugs⁵⁸, harassing with obscene words and insulting them, etc [96:Page 94 to 97].

The history of our community is full of inspiring stories of people like Keshara Bapa, Narayan Ramji Limbani, and Ratanshi Khimji Khetani. They all faced challenges and obstacles while working towards their goals, but their determination and perseverance serve as valuable lessons for future generations. These stories are often passed down orally from the elders of the community and can be a great source of inspiration. Such examples can be found throughout history.

107.  Media ⁵⁹: Media is often referred to as the fourth pillar⁶⁰ of democracy. It is the primary channel for the dissemination of official news. Through this medium, the government is made aware of the need for necessary corrective action, while also highlighting the atrocities that the people have experienced.

There was no public media in Vikram Samvat 1832 (1776) and Panthea/Panti⁶¹ was used for message transactions.

The issue of media destabilization is not given much prominence here.

The media is often misused in today’s world. Tactics such as paid news, fake news, false advertising, buying journalists with advertising promises, and distorting news to favor one’s own interests are commonly used. Including one’s own propaganda in news covertly is also a tactic that is used. The younger generation is well aware of how to utilize the media to sway public opinion or gain votes in their favor.

Today’s media plays a significant role in shaping perspectives, and this article considers the future implications.

In order to illustrate with a contemporary example, there was a Satpanth follower who had a brother named Shri Ratanshi Lalji Velani. He was falsely portrayed as the President of Sri Akhil Bharatiya Kutch Kadwa Patidar Samaj. Various newspapers, including Kutch Mitra, published news and advertisements about his supposed presidency and the general meetings of the society, which were convened under his leadership. However, the truth was that Shri Abjibhai Vishram Kanani had been the actual President of the society for many years. These false news stories are an example⁶² of how media can be misused to deceive the public.

108.  Ideological Subversion Target Sufficient (at this stage): The following table shows how much damage was done at this stage of destabilization. During the phase of volatility following the depression, we have created a table to track the losses.