Ahead of the Ram Temple inauguration slated in January, 2024, the VHP has been in full throttle organising yatras, village-to-village campaigns, and programmes to gather and mobilise sentiments. At many of these rallies however, speakers have been witnessed and caught on camera giving incendiary hate speeches against minorities. Earlier this year, VHP’s spokesperson, Vinod Bansal, had stated to the media in September, “We will awaken people against the menace of conversion and love jihad through these tours. We are also raising groups of dharma yoddhas (religious warriors) who will keep an eye on anti-religious activities, prevent conversion and organise ghar wapsi (return to the fold) programmes. A comprehensive plan has been devised which will be carried out through the length and breadth of the country.”
However, two days following the initial announcements and widespread alarm voiced by independent media, the VHP had stated that they would not be involving Dharma Yodhas in the event. The VHP has an aggressive track record that lists out intimidation, hate speeches, anti-minority rhetoric at its programmes.
✅ To pay tribute to the heroes who sacrificed their lives for the country and to celebrate the completion of Ayodhya Ram Mandir, VHP starts Shaurya Jagran Yatra from historic Gupt Ganga temple in JK’s Bhaderwah.
@DistrictDoda @diprjk @vishesh_jk pic.twitter.com/N9pSeozK5e
— DD NEWS JAMMU | डीडी न्यूज़ जम्मू (@ddnews_jammu) October 1, 2023
VHP’s Shaurya Jagran Yatra in Jammu
Thus, in a bid to reach out to marginalised sections within the Indian society, the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) is also actively involved in a range of campaigns that are targeted at the scheduled tribes and castes. Devji Bhai Rawat, the national secretary of the VHP, recently disclosed that committees are to be established in every village to oversee various programs, including skill development training, aimed at uplifting Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe people residing in slums and forests in Jammu, according to Deccan Herald.
Addressing reporters following a meeting with organisation office bearers to finalise the programme, Rawat talked about holding programmes on skill development training for uneducated youth, enabling them to secure livelihoods for their families. “The skill development training is being conducted for uneducated youngsters to enable them to earn a living for their families,” Rawat stated. Rawat also went on to talk about VHP’s supposed efforts to eradicate untouchability among Hindus, asserting that the organisation plans to commemorate the birthdays of social reformers, including Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, Sant Ravidas, Maharishi Valmiki, Sant Kabir, and Ramanujacharya, among others, with ]marginalised sections of society. The RSS and its offshoots are often criticised for appropriating marginalised people’s icons to further encourage these groups to buy their propaganda and be supporters. In a piece by SabrangIndia, there is an in depth analysis of how the very history and claims of indigeneity are being challenged, changed and disrupted by the RSS’ groups that operate schools and NGOs in tribal-populated areas.
Thereby, in Jammu, as part of VHP’s larger outreach which seems an effort to consolidate the Hindu community in Jammu, Rawat also invited the Hindus of Jammu and Kashmir, urging their participation in the ceremony at the Ram temple in Ayodhya scheduled for January 22.
Apart from this, the VHP has been quite active in Jamsmu this year. Other than skill-enhancing workshops, they seem to also be involved in activities that have a communal turn. For instance, in July, 2023, the Durga Vahini, the VHP’s female wing, organised a week-long training camp in Jammu and Kashmir for young women aged around 18 from 12 districts of the Union Territory. The camp, which started on July 3, focused on imparting self-defence techniques and educating the participants about handling themselves in the event of a “terror attack.” In addition to the self-defence aspect, the programme also aimed to hold discussions about the right-wing bogey of ‘love jihad,’ according to a member of the VHP.
Shabnam Khajuria, the leader of Durga Vahini, informed PTI that the main objective of this programme was to boost the self-confidence of young women and teach them skills to protect themselves from “terrorism” and natural disasters in the region. Khajuria also mentioned that along with fighting skills, the participating women also receive training in how to use rifles and swords. A total of 82 girls, all aged 18 and above, from 12 districts of Jammu and Kashmir, including border areas, took part in the camp. Shakti Dhar Sharma, vice president of J&K VHP, mentioned that their focus was also on educating women about issues like love jihad and other challenges faced by Hindus.
Similarly, earlier this year in May, the VHP and Durga Vahini had hosted a special screening of the movie, that is popularly known as being anti-Muslim propaganda, The Kerala Story at Palm Island Mall on Canal Road in Jammu. The screening, which primarily attracted young women from various educational institutions, aimed to shed light on what the organisers described as the propaganda surrounding “love jihad.”
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