The Mahabodhi Temple in Bodhgaya, near Patna, holds great significance for followers of Buddhism, as it is believed that Lord Gautama Buddha attained Nirvana here. This temple has been governed by the Bodh Gaya Temple Act of 1949, and the BTMC (Bodh Gaya Temple Management Committee) oversees its management. According to this, the temple's governing board has an equal number of Buddhists and Hindus. Since this February, many monks have been protesting against the 1949 Act and want only Buddhists to be part of the board that controls temple affairs.

The protests have a long history, as the mixed nature of the controlling body has led to a gradual Brahminisation of this temple. One Akash Lama sitting on the protest aptly put it, "This is not just about a temple; it's about our identity and pride. We are putting forward our demands peacefully. Until we receive written assurance from the government, this protest will continue indefinitely." The monks sitting on the protest say that "The Mahabodhi Mahavihara is being Brahminised. The influence of Brahminical rituals in the management and ceremonies of the temple is increasing, deeply hurting the faith and heritage of the Buddhist community."

As such, Indian history is a long story of struggle between Buddhism and Brahmanism. Buddhism conveys the message of equality, whereas Brahmanism is founded on a hierarchical system of caste and gender based on birth. Buddha's primary message was against the then-prevailing values of caste and gender-based inequality. In due course, Buddhism spread throughout the world, and with Emperor Ashoka's embrace of this religion, it further expanded to other countries, particularly in Southeast Asia. Ashoka sent his messengers to many countries to disseminate the message of Lord Buddha.

Buddha also called for stopping the unnecessary sacrifice of animals, particularly cows, in the prevalent rituals. All this hurt the social and economic interests of the Brahmins, who were uncomfortable with the spread of Buddhism.

To their great relief, Pushyamitra Shunga, the Commander in Chief of Ashoka's grandson Brihadrath, murdered Brihadrath and came to power. He established the Shunga dynasty. With this, there was a resurgence of Brahmanism and the eclipse of Buddhism. He actively persecuted Buddhists. He is said to have burned Buddhist monasteries, destroyed stupas, and even offered rewards for Buddhist monks' heads, leading to a decline in Buddhism's influence and a shift in favour of Brahmanism.

Later, Shankaracharya of Kaladi, a very influential philosopher, argued for Brahmanical philosophy. It is traditionally believed that he lived from 788 to 820 CE. However, some scholars propose earlier dates, with some suggesting a birth as early as 507-475 BC. However, there are no references to him before the 11th century. Whatever that is, it preceded the 'invasions' of Muslim kings from the North West.

His aim was to sanitise Brahmanism by getting rid of unnecessary rituals. His focus was philosophically opposed to Buddhist philosophy. Sunil Khilnani writes, "Throughout the subcontinent, he engaged in verbal combat with Buddhist philosophers, who taught as Buddha had, such doctrines as the momentariness of all things and the denial of the existence of the deity" (Incarnations: India in 50 Lives, p 84, UK: Allen Lane, 2016). Shankar was for the status quo and regarded the "World as an illusion." Buddha regarded the World as real where miseries prevailed, and by implication, these should be addressed and rectified.

Overall, due to these attacks, Buddhism fell out of the limelight until Babasaheb Ambedkar converted to Buddhism, accompanied by a large number of his followers. Earlier, Bhakti Saints also discussed some of the values originating from the Buddha, such as opposition to caste. Many of these saints were persecuted by the prevailing Brahmanism.

The major transition towards equality for Dalits began during the freedom movement, with the yeoman efforts of Jyotirao and Savitribai Phule in the areas of education and other social reforms. As these began to gain traction, the values of Brahmanism were challenged. The reactions of Brahmanism to this emerging challenge took the form of the Hindu Mahasabha and, later, more assertively, through the RSS. These organisations, in a way, were expressions of maintaining the 'status quo' and the imposition of Brahmanical values. They upheld Manusmriti as a symbol of their goals.

India is a diverse country, and the imposition of caste and gender hierarchy is marching under the banner of Hindu Rashtra, Hindutva, and Hindu Nationalism. The march towards equality was primarily articulated by Ambedkar through his Mahad Chavdar Talab, the burning of Manusmriti, and the Kalaram temple entry, amongst many others. The anti-colonial National movement tried to accommodate the demands of this social change to some extent, while Hindutva politics either openly opposed it or bypassed these issues.

As far as religion's playground is concerned, this modern counter-revolution led by RSS & co. has a multipronged approach. As in the case of the Gaya Mahabodhi Temple, they enter the management, where they can significantly alter decisions. The other one is to co-opt the Dalits through social engineering and, working amongst them and propagating that there should be harmony amongst all castes, Samajik Samarasata. This is in contrast to Ambedkar's goal of annihilation of caste.

On similar lines, there is also an attempt to Brahmanise Sufi Dargahs. Baba Budan Giri in Karnataka and Haji Malang near Mumbai are places that are claimed to be Hindu places of worship. A notable example is that of Sai Baba of Shirdi. Yoginder Sikand, in his book 'Sacred Spaces' gives a good glimpse of the syncretic nature of Shirdi Sai Baba. But now its Brahminisation is fairly complete, Warren, an expert on Sai Baba's thought, points out: "While Sai Baba was claimed by both Muslims and Hindus, his core approach to God-realisation had a distinct Islamic stance, and he never taught specifically Hindu doctrines and rituals. Sai Baba has, however, been almost completely assimilated and reinterpreted by the Hindu community."

We are living in strange times where religion is being blatantly used for political agendas. The Buddha temple is being controlled by a Brahmanical path; the Sufi shrines are being Brahmanised. The agitation by Buddhist monks to restore their sacred place to their norms and beliefs is one example of opposition to imposing norms that are totally opposed to equality and non-violence, as preached by Lord Gautama Buddha.