Lokendra Singh Kalvi (1955–2023) was an Indian politician and activist who founded the Shri Rajput Karni Sena (SRKS), a Rajasthan-based organization working for the welfare and rights of the Rajput community. He is the son of politician and Janata Dal party member Kalyan Singh Kalvi. Lokendra Singh was also associated with various political parties including the Indian National Congress and Bahujan Samaj Party. He came into the national spotlight for leading protests against the production and release of the Indian historical drama film Padmaavat (2018). He died of a heart attack on 14 March 2023 at Sawai Man Singh Hospital in Jaipur, Rajasthan.
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Wiki/Biography
Lokendra Singh Kalvi was born in 1955 (age 68 years at death), and was from Kalvi, Nagaur district, Rajasthan. He studied at Mayo College and Government College in Ajmer. He was a national level basketball player.
Physical Appearance
Height (approx): 6′ 2″
Weight: 120 kg
Hair Color: Gray
Eye colour: Light brown
family and caste
He belongs to a Hindu Rajput family.
parents and siblings
His father, Kalyan Singh Kalvi, was the Agriculture Minister in the Government of Rajasthan between 1993 and 1998, the period when Bhairon Singh Shekhawat served as the CM of the state. Later, Kalyan Singh became the Energy Minister (1990 – 1991) in the government led by Chandrashekhar. His mother’s name is Laad Kanwar.
wife and children
Lokendra Singh Kalvi is married and has two sons, Bhavani Kalvi and Pratap Kalvi. Bhavani Kalvi is a professional polo player.
Bhavani Kalvi, son of Lokendra Singh Kalvi
Pratap Singh Kalvi, son of Lokendra Singh Kalvi
Religion
He follows Hindu religion. They worship Karni Mata, a Hindu goddess who is considered an incarnation of Jagadamba. They are promoted mainly in royal Rajput houses.
Lokendra Singh Kalvi worshiping Karni Mata
Politics
In 1996, Lokendra Singh Kalvi contested the Nagaur Lok Sabha seat on Samata Party ticket and lost. In 1998, he contested the Barmer Lok Sabha seat on a BJP ticket and lost. Before the 2003 Rajasthan Legislative Assembly elections, he formed the Samajik Nyay Morcha or Samajik Nyay Manch, an organization of Rajputs and Brahmins to demand reservations for economically backward upper castes. The party was led by Devi Singh Bhati, a veteran Rajput politician from the state. The result was that the party had fielded 60 candidates across Rajasthan, out of which only one could win the seat. It was Bhati who had won the Kolayat assembly seat of Bikaner. Soon, the two had differences and Kalvi founded Karni Sena in 2006. Kalvi began his association with the Congress before the 2008 Rajasthan Assembly elections. The Kalvi-led Karni Sena offered its support to the Congress on the condition that the party give a specified number of tickets to Rajput candidates. Reportedly, he also sought a Congress ticket to contest the 2009 general elections, but never received the ticket. In 2010, he joined the Congress and also formed his own faction, Shri Rajput Karni Sena (SRKS). Before the 2014 general elections, he joined the Bahujan Samaj Party, but did not contest the elections.
Karni Sena
The origins of Karni Sena can be traced back to 2005 when Rajput leaders Lokendra Singh Kalvi and Tarun Pratap Singh Yaduvanshi attempted to unite the Rajput community. However, the organization was formally formed on 23 September 2006 in Jhotwara, a suburb of Jaipur, with the main objective of demanding caste-based reservation for Rajputs in government jobs and education. Additionally, it reportedly worked towards ending “sidelining of Rajput personalities in textbooks” and promoting the election of Rajput MLAs into the government. Ajit Singh Mamdoli was appointed the first president of the organization. Differences between Kalvi and Mamdoli led to Kalvi leaving the organization and forming his own Shri Rajput Karni Sena (SRKS) in 2010. Kalvi appointed Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi as the president of his faction. In 2015, Gogamedi was expelled due to criminal charges, after which he formed his own faction, Shri Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena. After this Kalvi appointed Mahipal Singh Makrana as the state president of his group. In 2017, SRKS launched a protest against Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s film Padmaavat (2018), alleging that it hurts Rajput sentiments by distorting history about the 14th century Chittor queen Padmini.
Lokendra Singh Kalvi during press conference
controversies
Protest against the release of the film Jodhaa Akbar (2008)
In 2008, the Kalvi-Karni Sena protested against the release of Ashutosh Gowarikar’s historical film Jodhaa Akbar, starring Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai. Karni Sena said that none of the 34 wives of Mughal emperor Akbar was named Jodhabai. Kalvi claimed that Akbar married Karkabai alias Heer Kumar, the elder daughter of Raja Bharmal of Amer, on 6 February 1562 at Fatehpur Sikri. Akbar’s son Prince Salim was born in 1569. According to Karni Sena, Jodha was the daughter of Udai Singh of Marwar and was married to Salim and not to Akbar. While making her claim in front of the media, she said,
Jodha Bai was the daughter of Motaraja Udai Singh and she would have been three years younger than Salim and hence, she could not have been his mother in any way… She was Akbar’s daughter-in-law. Therefore, portraying Jodha as Akbar’s wife is not tolerable.”
Karni Sena workers burnt posters of Jodha Akbar in Rajasthan. Activists also gathered outside the Rambagh Palace hotel in Jaipur, where Abhishek Bachchan’s birthday party was scheduled. They also raised slogans against Aishwarya Rai as well as director Ashutosh Gowarikar for playing the role of Jodhabai in the film. The organization held several protests in Rajasthan against Gowariker and asked him to apologize for the content of the film. Karni Sena also approached the court demanding a stay on the release of the film. Reportedly, Karni Sena activists wrote letters in blood against the release of the film and sent it to theater owners.
Protest against the telecast of the show Jodhaa Akbar (2013)
In 2013, Ekta Kapoor’s historical drama TV show Jodhaa Akbar was mired in controversy as Karni Sena protested against it for ‘distorting the facts’ related to the history of Rajputs. He demanded to take the show off air. SRKS founding patron Lokendra Singh Kalvi claimed,
The marriage of convenience between the Mughal emperor Akbar and a fictional Rajput princess, Jodha, is historically inaccurate.
In 2014, Ekta Kapoor was attacked by a handful of Karni Sena activists at the Jaipur Literature Festival. The workers threw bottles at him while raising slogans against him. During the series of protests, Karni Sena also attacked Zee Media office in Jaipur and burnt the effigy of Ekta Kapoor. Sena members alleged that Ekta Kapoor had initially promised to change the name of the serial but went back on her promise. As a result, Ekta stopped working as a producer for the show.
Padmavat Row (2018)
In 2017, the Kalvi-Karni Sena gained national attention when it started protests against Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s film Padmaavat (2018), starring Deepika Padukone in the lead role. SRKS alleged that the film has hurt Rajput sentiments by showing the romance between Queen Padmini of Chittor and Alauddin Khilji in a dream sequence. Ahead of the film’s release in January 2018, Karni Sena led violent protests in various districts across India and also vandalized theaters screening the film. Addressing the media during the protest he said,
My poor people have cut the gardens. I will not let my golden history be erased with black ink.
The protesters vandalized the film set and assaulted director Bhansali and tore his clothes. SRKS activists threatened to behead Bhansali if he went ahead with the release of the film. Mahipal Singh Makrana threatened physical violence against Deepika Padukone, saying that he would not hesitate to cut off her nose, meanwhile, Kalvi called her a “dancer”. Kalvi also threatened to burn down any theater showing the film, saying,
There is a flame of Jauhar, many things will burn. Stop me if you can.
Rajput Karni Sena chief Lokendra Singh Kalvi addressing a press conference during the Padmaavat controversy (2018)
Death
On 14 March 2023, Lokendra Singh Kalvi died of a heart attack at SMS Hospital in Jaipur, Rajasthan. He was admitted to hospital fifteen days before his death due to his deteriorating health. His body was taken to his native village Kalvi in Nagaur district for the last rites.
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn