MP govt to launch campaign portraying Lord Krishna as rebel, not butter thief; opposition cries foul
BHOPAL: Already working on developing the Sri Krishna Patheya – a religious tourism circuit connecting places related with Lord Krishna’s life – the Dr Mohan Yadav government is now set to launch a public awareness campaign to educate people that the eighth avatar of Lord Vishnu was a rebel and not a makhanchor (butter thief).
Lovingly referring to Lord Krishna as Makhanchor (butter thief) has been a practice among storytellers, bhajan singers and religious preachers since generations.
Hailing from the ancient city – Ujjain – where Lord Krishna and elder brother Balram are traditionally believed to have studied Vedas – Madhya Pradesh chief minister Dr Mohan Yadav has objected to the popular title of Makhanchor for Lord Krishna.
While calling the popular title as misleading, the CM argued on the festival of Sri Krishna Janmashtami, that Krishna's childhood act of breaking butter pots (Matki Fod) was actually a stand of rebellion against his maternal uncle Kansa’s exploitation.
“There were thousands of cows in Gokul, and butter from there went to Kansa’s house. Krishna told his fellow cowherds: eat your butter, break the pot, but don’t let it reach our enemy. This was not theft but a message of resistance. Krishna’s leela is about love and protest against injustice, not about stealing,” he said.
“Why will Krishna -- who was born in a prosperous family of Nana Baba that housed thousands of cattle and abundant milk, ghee and butter -- ever need to steal. He was a rebel and not a butter thief,” Yadav said recently.
After the CM’s remarks, the state’s culture department is working now on a public awareness campaign that will portray Krishna as a rebel and not a butter thief.
While confirming the move and the launch of a public outreach campaign by the state culture department, the CM’s cultural advisor Sriram Tiwari said, “The campaign will focus on educating the people that the act of butter-pot breaking was rebellion against Kansa’s cruelty and not any theft. The Hindu seers have also agreed with us to drop the butter-thief tag.”
“Knowing well that Kansa was the enemy, Krishna by eating the butter or breaking the pots, ensured that butter stayed in the village and didn’t reach Kansa,” Tiwari maintained.
For making the campaign a success, the department is working at roping in storytellers, priests and religious preachers.
Leader of Opposition and fourth time Congress MLA Umang Singhar, however, has accused the CM and his government of unnecessarily fiddling with Hindu mythology just to garner political mileage. “The CM wants to change the Krishna Leela as per himself. We also believe that Lord Krishna never stole butter. The CM should better tell people how he stole the people’s mandate for forming his government.”