India: ABVP, the student wing of the RSS to set up vigilante groups on UP's Campuses

Indian Express

‘Love jihad’: ABVP to form vigilante groups on UP campuses

Written by Lalmani Verma | Lucknow | Posted: September 21, 2014 3:36 am

Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), will form groups of girls on university campuses and educational institutions to curb incidents of ‘love jihad’ in which Muslim youths allegedly lure Hindu girls into marriage and convert them to their religion

These vigilante groups will not only counsel girls against ‘love jihad’ but also approach the authorities, including principal and proctor of educational institutions, if they come across any case where any Muslim youth was trying to lure a Hindu girl posing as a Hindu,” said Shreehari Borikar, national general secretary, ABVP, who was in Lucknow Saturday to address the inaugural session of ABVP’s national meet of women members.

Addressing the girls, who have arrived from different states, Borikar said, “You have to be alert of those who lure girls with fake names. You will have to understand their conspiracy and find out the identity of such youths who stand outside women colleges. There is a section of society who is trying to lure the girls. You all have the responsibility to protect those girls from such conspiracies.”

Borikar said there was a need for such groups so that girl students could discuss their problems with them. “ABVP student organisation has its workers across the country but its reach is still needed in remote areas to ensure safety of girl students. They will have to take responsibility for the security of girls on the campus,” Borikar said while asking the girls to expand their organisation in remote and rural areas, too.

ABVP All India Organising Secretary Sunil Ambedkar said there was resentment in society against the incidents of gangrape, eve-teasing, ‘love jihad’ and other incidents of crime against women in UP.

“That resentment is coming to the fore and that is a signal of change. Such incidents will not be tolerated any more,” Ambedkar said. He said ABVP girls have also taken the pledge to check female foeticide.

Talking to The Indian Express, All India Mahila Samanvay Pramukh of RSS Geeta Tai Gunde, said, “ABVP girls should raise voice against crime against women and incidents of ‘love jihad’ to save girls from falling in a trap and their conversion to Islam. ABVP is already running awareness programmes against such social problems but these programmes have to be more extensive in the current scenario.”

A fact-finding committee of ABVP had recently visited 12 places of UP, including Badaun where incidents of crime against women, had occurred in the past few months. ABVP circulated a report of these 12 cases — Mulsim men were allegedly involved in some — in today’s meeting.

“ABVP teams will conduct a study of such cases in other places too in the coming days,” Borikar said. Issues of pub culture and live-relationship were also on the agenda but sources said a member was opposed to the ABVP’s decision to run a campaign against live-in relationships.
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