Patna: The Bihar government has decided to celebrate the birth anniversary of Emperor Ashok who ruled from Patliputra (modern Patna) as state function every year on Chatra Shukla Asthami Day (8th day of Hindu calendar of Chaitra), according to the chief minister, Nitish Kumar.
The decision was approved by the state cabinet and the Ashoka Convention Centre near Gandhi Maidan will be the main venue. Functions will be held at all district headquarters.
According to Nitish Kumar, though there was no authentic birth day recorded, still according to the historians, he was born a day before Ram Navami, birth day of Ram.
The BJP and the JDU celebrated his birth anniversary at Patna separately. Nitish Kumar attended the event organised by the JDU a day after BJP's programme which was attended by union ministers and senior BJP leaders. Uttar Pradesh deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya too attended the programme organised by BJP.
There is an attempt between the JDU and the BJP to appropriate Ashok as the OBC icon and brand him as the King of Kushwaha origin.
The process to brand Ashok as Kushwaha King started during the state assembly elections in 2015 when RJD and JDU were allied together against the BJP. Kushwahas, who constitute 8 per cent of the electorate in Bihar, are considered economically influential community in the state. Since then, a campaign has been launched to brand Gautam Budha as Kurmi king.
However, historians and scholars have disputed the claims of the leaders claim of Ashok as Kushwaha and Budha as Kurmi kings.They claim both were Kshatriyas, members of the warrior ruling community.
Prof Jayadeva Mishra,former head of the department of Ancient Indian History and Archaeology department of Patna University on Wednesday told Free Press Journal, "There is no documented evidence to suggest Ashok was a Kushwaha by caste. He was the third generation ruler from Maurya dynasty and had succeeded Bindusar, son of Chandragupta Maurya. Academically it can not be proved Ashok was Kushwaha.
Prof Mishra said that politicians invent and create their own history to fool voters along caste lines and are not sparing even Emperor Ashok and Gautam Budha.
"What source they have to claim Ashok was a Kushwaha or Koeri, member of the farming community. During that period, farming was a secular profession".
Quoting four text books, Professor Mishra said that even Mudraraksha, by poet Vuiushakadatta who lived in the Gupta period as court poet, called him 'Brishal', a nick name for Shudras and not Kushwaha or Koeri.
In the 2020 assembly elections in Bihar, BJP sponsored Ashok Rath in all the constituencies to attract voters of Kushwaha and Koeris.
