Bhukti means a particular administrative area akin to a district in India or a county in Britain. The Ánanda Márga Pracáraka Saḿgha (AMPS) secretary of such a bhukti will be known as a bhukti pradhána. [Pradhána means “head” or “principal person”.]

Election of Bhukti Pradhána

The sadvipras (those who are well-established in Sixteen Points⁽¹⁾) of a bhukti must elect one bhukti pradhána from among themselves. The bhukti pradhána may or may not be an ácárya/á or a táttvika, but must be an educated family person. They will hold this post for three years, after which a fresh election will be held.

The Bhukti Committee

The Bhukti General Committee will be constituted of representatives elected by the sadvipras from among themselves. It will consist of a maximum of twenty-five and a minimum of fifteen members. With the consent of 80 per cent of the members, the number of members may be raised above twenty-five.

The bhukti pradhána will be the chairperson of the Bhukti General Committee. He/she will also form a Bhukti Executive Committee consisting of his/her chosen members. The number of members of the Bhukti Executive Committee will be determined at the discretion of the bhukti pradhána. A maximum of three members of the Bhukti Executive Committee may be sadvipras who are not members of the Bhukti General Committee; the rest must be members of the Bhukti General Committee.

Duties and Responsibilities of Bhukti Pradhána

In general, the bhukti pradhána is responsible for all items of the ISMUB Department - inspection, seminars, movements, utilization and boards - at the district level. They must also maintain all records of birth, játakarma, marriage, social functions, náráyańa sevá, divorce, death, shráddha and diikśádána.

In addition, the bhukti pradhána should settle petty civil and criminal disputes, authorizing both the prosecution and defence to engage their pleaders. (Any sadvipra well versed in Caryácarya may be a pleader for the purpose.)

They are to maintain the sanctity of all jágrtis, dhvajas [flags], pratiikas and pratikrtis [photos of Márga Guru] with the help of the jágrti secretary and others.

They must maintain the social solidarity of the bhukti by never allowing the individual interest of any person to go against the collective interest, and they may take disciplinary steps against a person (in consultation with their Bhukti Executive Committee) for deviating from the path of Sixteen Points.

They must help with cash, kind, labour and other physical and intellectual power in materializing the different public welfare plans and programmes of Ananda Marga. The bhukti pradhána will maintain proper accounts of all income and expenditure of his/her bhukti.

The purodhá pramukha may increase or decrease the duties or responsibilities of the bhukti pradhána whenever so required with or without consultation of the Central Purodhá Board.

Footnotes

(1) See Caryácarya Part 2. –Trans.