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Revision as of 20:49, 4 September 2008 by Vikramsingh (talk | contribs) (→Background)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Swami Shanti Kali Maharaj or Santi Tripura (? - August 27, 2000) was a popular Hindu priest who was shot to death inside his ashram near Jirania under the Sadar subdivision in the Indian state of Tripura. Police reports regarding the incident identified ten members of the Christian separatist organization, NLFT, responsible for the murder.
Background
Shanti Tripura, also commonly known as Shanti Kali, was a well-known Hindu saint working among the tribals in Tripura. His ashram was located near the Khumlwng area.
He was born in a small village Fulsori in south Tripura district of Subrum subdivision. He was the 13th child of father Dhananjay Tripura and mother was Khanjan Devi.
Shanti Tripura had was married and had seven years of conjugal life. He had two daughters. Since he was determined to become an ascetic, so he asked his wife to remarry, and take care of their daughters.
He then went for pilgrimage all over India. He was asked in dream by Goddess Tripura Sundari mata, to go back to Tripura and to establish an ashram and her temple. After returning from pilgrimage, he devoted his life to establish the Shanti Kali Ashram, first established in 1979 on the month of Phalguna (March-April), at Manu in Sabrum, on an auspicious day of Shiv Chaturdashi.
The ashram has 18 branches in Tripura. It has since been named as Shanti Kali Mission. The mission is engaged in spiritual awakening, herbal treatment, education to poor children, running primary school, orphanage etc.
Death and subsequent events
On Aug 27, 2000, Shanti Kali was presiding at his ashram. In the night of that day, Christian militants belonging to the separatist organization, NLFT, broke into the ashram and murdered the priest for refusing to convert to Christianity along with his followers.
In the same month, another Hindu leader of the Jamatya community, Jaulushmoni Jamatya, was also killed.
On Dec 4, 2000, nearly three months after his death, an ashram set up by Shanti Kali at Chachu Bazar under the Sidhai police station was raided by Christian militants belonging to the NLFT. In the months following his death, eleven of the priest's ashrams, schools, and orphanages around the state were closed down by the NLFT.
References
- http://www.tripura.org.in/shantikali.htm Shanti Kali Mission
- Hindu preacher killed by Tripura rebels BBC, Aug 28, 2000.
- Militants raid Hindu Ashram. The Telegraph, December 5, 2000.