Hate Watch: Bajarang Dal claims Trishul a religious symbol not a weapon

The Bajrang Dal, an extremist group which springs into action as soon as it sniffs any opportunity to enact right-wing ideology on the ground, recently conducted ‘training’ on how to use guns and trishuls (traditional Indian tridents) to attack. All this under the nose of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Karnataka led by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai.

This is not the first time such right-wing groups have held such meetings/ training camps in the state, according to news reports, the CM has “been accused of turning a blind eye on similar activities carried out by right-wing groups.” This time, a week-long “arms training” camp was conducted by Bajarang Dal, in Ponnampet in Kodagu district, about 240 kms from Bengaluru. According to a report in the Hindustan Times, the ‘camp’ was attended by over 100 people who were then given Trishuls. 

However Bajarang Dal’s south Karnataka convener Raghu Sakleshpur claimed that the tridents that were given out were “just 5.5 inches and not even sharp. It is not considered a weapon but a religious symbol. We conduct such sessions every year but the last two years it did not happen because of Covid-19.” 

According to the police, details are being collected of the Ponnampet camp and “so far, no complaint has been filed in the matter,” reported HT. The Kodagu area, in the Malnad belt, borders Dakshina Kannada, where the right-wing Hindutva-eco system finds a home to prosper. Kodagu itself is known as a BJP stronghold. According to a report in The Print, this “camp was part of the ‘Shaurya Prashikshana Varga’ that took place from May 5 to 11 at Sai Shankar Educational Institute, at Ponnampet in Kodagu district.”

Photos of the so called ‘training camp’, police permission to conduct which is not available on the public domain yet, showed ‘youngsters firing air guns’ and accepting the tridents. A Bajarang Dal worker, who did not to be named, was quoted by HT saying such ‘training camps’ were conducted every year in the state. He said, “We distribute the trishuls under ‘trishula deekshe’ which is a part of our practice. These trishuls have never been misused.” He however did not add why such a training camp was needed for civilians anyway. 

Congress leader Dinesh Gundu Rao raised concern on social media and asked, “Why are Bajrang Dal members receiving arms training? Isn’t training in firearms without a proper licence an offence? Isn’t this a violation of the Arms Act 1959, Arms Rules 1962?”

This so-called ‘trishul diksha’ or trident distribution has been on overdrive in the past few months. It has been done by several Hindutva leaders big and small. The most recognisable of them, all being Pravin Togadia, surgeon-turned-Hindutva leader, now the president of Antarashtriya Hindu Parishad (AHP). His group has been distributing the  trishul (trident),  to civilians arming them to be  “protectors of the Hindu faith”.  These “Trishul Diksha” camps and events have been held in Gujarat and Assam, and are often accompanied by anti-Muslim statements and speeches by the likes of Togadia and his aides.

Related:

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Major arms haul in Saurashtra

How is the Assam gov’t allowing Pravin Togadia’s trishul distribution?

Sheath the swords, while there is still time!

Gujarat:  Antarashtriya Hindu Parishad is stage for anti-Muslim abuse, trident distribution