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Showing posts with label Hindu Janjagruti Samiti. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hindu Janjagruti Samiti. Show all posts
The Editorial Board
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Published 12.04.22, 12:23 AM
Hatred is not noble; it is riddled with spite. Going door to door asking people not to buy halal meat
is spiteful, as is distributing pamphlets at the marketplace on the
same theme. But that does not deter members of the Hindu Janajagruti
Samiti and other right-wing groups from thus urging the majority
community in Karnataka to boycott halal meat. They tried to ban
its sale on Varshadodaku, when meat-eating is common in all
communities. The Karnataka chief minister took some time to decide that
his government will look into the demand to boycott halal meat; this does not entirely paper over the fact that the Bharatiya Janata Party is not inimical to the campaign. The hijab controversy had culminated in the Karnataka High Court’s ruling disallowing hijabs in
educational institutions. This was followed by the campaign banning
non-Hindu traders from opening stalls on or near temple premises and
that against halal meat. Both target the economy of the
minority community. If these moves prosper, the worst sufferers would be
farmers who raise livestock; they have already been hit with a beef
ban. But the BJP national general secretary steadily pointed his finger:
allegedly, the minority community is waging economic jihad through the sale of halal meat. Is all this a build-up to the state elections next year?
The BJP’s role in the unconstitutional efforts to change people’s
diet and to intervene in a community’s right to conduct trade freely is
also obvious in Delhi. The BJP mayors of south and east Delhi ordered
all meat shops to be closed for the period of Navratri because,
according to them, people do not eat even garlic or onions then. The
Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad has — unsurprisingly — been accused
of thuggery in the Jawaharlal Nehru University campus after a clash over
the consumption of non-vegetarian food. Not only do these
transgressions ignore the non-Hindu population, but they also imply
conformity with their ideas of Hindutva among the majority
community, which is far from homogenous in diet or belief. Since no one
but the municipal commissioner can decide to close down shops, no formal
order was issued. Whether or not the mayors succeeded in this instance
is irrelevant. What stands out is the systematic targeting of a
community, together with the indifference to rules, laws and the
Constitution. That Karnataka and Delhi should be linked through similar
divisive campaigns does not augur well. Only the refusal of people
across communities to accept such bullying will turn these efforts to
naught.
‘Establish a Hindu Rashtra by 2023’: What 132 Right-Wing Hindu organisations demanded in Goa
The sixth All India Hindu Convention also asked for construction
of a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya and a ban on cattle slaughter and
religious conversions.
Twitter/hindujagrutiorg
Declare India a Hindu rashtra, ban cattle slaughter and
declare the cow India’s national animal, ban all religious conversions,
start the construction of a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya: these were some
of the resolutions passed by the sixth All India Hindu Convention in
Goa on Saturday.
The four-day event, which began on Wednesday with
300 participants from 132 Hindu groups, was organised by the
Goa-headquartered Hindu Janjagruti Samiti and its sister organisation,
the Sanatan Sanstha, at the Ramnathi temple complex in the state’s Ponda
region. The Samiti’s national guide, Dr Charudatt Pingale, said the
next course of action was a national campaign against corruption and
injustice that would unite all Hindus.
“The government does not
listen to the people, nor does it work against corruption,” Pingale
alleged. As a result, he said, the convention has decided to intensify
its campaigns against corruption in the bureaucracy, malpractices in
the medical field, donations and capitation fees in education, and to
protect the nation and dharma.
There are also plans to get the
organisations’ activists to file more applications under the Right to
Information Act towards this end, and to organise right to information
camps for their activists and lawyers. Camps on providing first aid and
on self-defence were also proposed.
Furthermore, the Hindu
Janjagruti Samiti and Sanatan Saunstha will hold 45 district-level and
10 provincial Hindu conventions in the coming months.
Message to the BJP
Participating
in the convention, Bharatiya Janata Dal MLA from Telangana T Raja
Singh, who is the founder of the Shri Ram Yuva Sena, gave his party a
deadline of 2019 to start the construction of a Ram mandir in Ayodhya.
He threatened to quit the party and unite “one crore” Hindus if the
Central and state governments failed to start work on the temple by
then. However, he professed to have “great faith in Yogi Adityanath” –
the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, who visited the makeshift Ram
temple in Ayodhya on May 31 and spoke of building the mandir by
consensus.
Singh also said the BJP should work out a national agenda to stop cow slaughter.
Another
participant, Bharat Raksha Manch national secretary Anil Dhir, said the
BJP had during the 2014 Lok Sabha election campaign promised to deport
“illegal Bangladesh settlers”. Three years hence, he said, “not even
hundred have been deported”. Claiming that these settlers have spread
across economic sectors and regions and now number four crore, Dhir said
the Centre ought to detect and deport them. “At least detect and delete
them from the electoral rolls” while giving them work permits, he
added.
Dhir claimed to have been part of the BJP’s campaign in
2014, and said many of its promises remain unfulfilled, such as on one
rank one pension for retired defence personnel and the declassification
of papers pertaining to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. The BJP was the object of Hindu Janjagruti Samiti national
spokesman Ramesh Shinde’s attention, too, as he said, “If you are in
power due to some promises, then you have to fulfil them. It is the duty
of Hindu organisations to show them the correct path.” He added,
“Criticism does not mean opposition.”
Bengaluru-based lawyer
Amrutesh NP, meanwhile, criticised the BJP government in Goa for banning
the entry of Sri Ram Sene convenor Pramod Muthalik, calling it a shame.
“We are pursuing the matter in the Supreme Court and I hope to attend
the next press conference with Pramod in Goa,” he said.
The state
had announced the ban in 2015 after Muthalik threatened to stop “pub
culture” in the tourist state, and it has been extending the ban ever
since.
The ruling BJP – which is making a conscientous effort to
take the middle ground in a state with a sizeable Christian population,
which it hopes to wean away from the Congress – has distanced itself
from the convention. The event did not see any participation from the
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the BJP’s ideological parent, either.
Controversial start
The convention got off to a controversial start
with Sadhvi Saraswati of Madhya Pradesh likening the consumption of
beef to “eating one’s mother” and saying all beef-eaters should be
hanged. She also called for Hindus to keep arms “for self-defence”. The
state Congress demanded that Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar take action against her.
Asked
if the Hindu Janjagruti Samiti endorsed Saraswati’s view, Ramesh Shinde
said “it was her personal viewpoint”. However, the organisation’s
website put up excerpts of her speech and did not remove them even after
the controversy.
As the convention wound up on Saturday, a
two-day meeting of lawyers to chalk out a roadmap for a legal strategy
to “establish a Hindu Rashtra by 2023” got underway under the Hindu
Vidhidnya (Lawyer) Parishad. This lawyers’ group counts the bail
granted in April to Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur – accused of plotting
the 2008 blasts in Maharashtra’s Malegaon town that left six people dead
– as one of its victories. It has also represented Sanatan Sanstha
members accused in the 2009 blast outside a church in Madgaon in Goa.
After
the lawyers’ meeting, a special training session or adhiveshan for
activists will be held in the state’s Mahalaxmi temple from Monday till
Wednesday (June 19-21).
On December 14, the radical Hindutva groups in Pune are giving
“Hindutva Shourya Puraskar (Bravery award)” to Dhananjay Desai alias
Bhai, chief of Hindu Rashtra Sena (HRS), who is currently in jail in
connection with the murder of Muslim techie Mohsin Shaikh.
Desai is among the 21 HRS activists arrested by the Pune police in
connection with the murder of a 28-year-old Muslim techie Moshin Sadiq
Shaikh in Hadapsar on June 2, this year following the communal clashes
that started due to the spread of derogatory pictures of Maratha King
Shivaji and Bal Thackeray uploaded on a Facebook (FB) profile.
Desai’s wife Rasika is likely to collect the award on his behalf at
the hands of none other than Pramodi Mutalik of Shriram Sena, during a
function – Shivpratap Din Utsav — organised mainly by the Samasta Hindu
Aghadi, involving various Hindutva groups in Pune, to remember the
heroic victory of legendary king Shivaji Maharaj over Adilshahi warrior
Afzal Khan. Besides Desai, the groups will also felicitate advocate
Nandu Phadke with Pant Bokil Puraskar.
Milind Ekbote, leader of Samasta Hindu Aghadi, who had also contested
the recent state assembly elections on a Shiv Sena ticket, said,
“Dhananjay Desai has been falsely arrested in the Mohsin Shaikh murder
case. There is no proof of his involvement in the murder. He was
arrested only because of he is a firebrand Hindutva leader. The Hindutva
Shourya Puraskar has nothing to do with the murder case.
“Desai is in jail for over four months for no reason. But he is still
committed to the cause of Hindutva. We are going to honour him because
he united a large number of Hindu youths and created awareness among
them on cow slaughter and love jihad. He never compromises on Hindutva
issues. His wife will accept the honour on his behalf,” said Ekbote.
The Shivpratap Din Utsav will be held at the Tilak Smarak Mandir in
Pune on December 14, Sunday evening. Sources from the organisers said
that invitations have been given to several Hindutva activists including
those associated with the RSS and political parties like the BJP and
the Sena. However, none of the actual office bearers of RSS, BJP and
Shiv Sena are a part of the organising team.
When contacted, Himani Savarkar of Hindu outfit Abhinav Bharat said
she is aware of the programme. A senior RSS functionary said that they
are not at all involved in this program to honour Desai. Shyam
Deshpande, Shiv Sena’s Pune city president said he has not received any
invitation from Ekbote or any other member of organising team of
Shivpratap Din Utsav and so he cannot comment about it.
Meanwhile, the same Hindutva groups had a couple of years before had
similarly declared an award to gangster Sharad Mohol, who allegedly
killed Indian Mujahideen (IM) operative in Yerwada jail in June 2012.
Last year, they had honoured corporator Thakur Rajasingh of Hyderabad
for his work on anti cow slaughter and agitations against Owaisi
brothers of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM).
Ekbote, the key person behind the Shivpratap Din Utsav, was never
officially associated to Shivsena before he contested state election on
party ticket. He was the corporator of Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) from
1992 to 1997 and also won as independent in 2002 civic elections from
Shivajinagar. Then he contested the 2009 state assembly elections from
Kasba Peth constituency on the ticket of Hindu Mahasabha, a political
party following Hindutva ideology. He has been organising events in the
name of RSS founder Dr Keshav Hedgevar and second Sarsanghachalak Madhav
Golvalkar for last many years.
Founder of the Samasta Hindu Aghadi, Ekbote has close relations with
Hindutva organisations like Hindu Janjagruti Samiti, Sanatan Sanstha,
Hindu Rashtra Sena and Abhinav Bharat. Ekbote also had a police
protection following threats from his ideological opponents. He is
considered to be the key persons behind many Hindutva programs like
“Goraksha Andolan”, a movement against cow slaughter and agitations on
sensitive communal issues.
The
cover of a booklet distributed by Hindutva vigilante squad Hindu
Rakshak Samiti urging people to ‘save Hindu girls from the terrorism of
Love Jihad’. Photo: Special Arrangement
Propaganda about ‘love jihad’ spreads to Maharashtra’s Dhule district, Maha
When
26-year-old Roshni (name changed) wanted to marry her Muslim boyfriend
last year, the opposition came not from their families but from a Hindu
vigilante group, the Hindu Rakshak Samiti (HRS), active in this region
close to Nasik.
“They
harassed my parents and relatives, saying we would be ostracised. They
even threatened my husband’s family,” said Roshni , who went ahead with
the marriage. But the days leading up to the ceremony were fraught with
tension.
The Hindu met
with members of the HRS, who spoke openly about their campaign on the
condition that they would not be named. Formed in 2005, the all-male
squad has a clear agenda: “saving” Hindu women from Muslim men. They see
themselves as warriors against what they call “Love Jihad,” a
conspiracy theory floated by Hindutva groups like the Hindu Janjagruti
Samiti which claims that Muslim men lure Hindu women into marriage with
the aim of increasing their own population. The vigilantist propaganda
campaign, which initially took root in Karnataka and Kerala, has now
spread to this region in Maharashtra.
In
Dhule, the HRS has an extensive network with a well laid out modus
operandi. It has recruited young men who are stationed across the city,
especially in colleges. If they see Hindu girls befriending Muslim boys,
they warn them. Then they inform their parents about the friendship and
ask them to keep their daughters “in check.” Most of its members belong
to the BJP, the Shiv Sena or the RSS.
The
vigilantes include 24-year-old Rohan Kulkarni, among the few who agreed
to be named. While speaking to this reporter, he received a phone call.
“A Hindu girl was seen entering with a Muslim boy,” said the voice on
the phone. A few calls later, the Muslim boy was confronted by seven
Hindu activists. “We told him that if he’s seen with any other Hindu
girl again there will be consequences,” Mr. Kulkarni told The Hindu, proudly.
“My
advice to Hindu girls is — start saying Jai Shri Ram and Muslim boys
won’t trouble them,” said the part-time newsreader. “Girls are fooled
easily by boys who give them gifts. We are here to protect our sisters,”
Mr. Kulkarni argued. “They are boys I have grown up with. But once they
make friends with Hindu girls, they don’t introduce us to them,” he
said, not without a hint of jealousy.
The
HRS claims to have “solved” 15 relationships by parting Hindu-Muslim
couples. It even maintains it has the support of the local traffic
authorities who help them identify Muslim boys. “We have two RTO agents
as volunteers. They can easily detect if a bike belongs to a Hindu or a
Muslim and then we can act,” said a lawyer who is part of the HRS.
The
group claims it is often contacted by the parents of the young women.
“They call us to solve the matter,” said an oil trader who is part of
the HRS. Earlier this year, he said they handled one such case where a
daughter had eloped with a Muslim man. “We tried to convince her. When
she didn’t listen, we slapped her,” he said candidly.
But
they admit that sometimes their efforts are thwarted. “We are ready to
face abuse from the girls and their parents. This is our duty,” said an
HRS member who is a BJP corporator. Last year, their attempt to convince
a Maratha family failed. “We couldn’t do anything as her parents didn’t
entertain us. They will realise their mistake soon,” he said,
justifying their actions.
He
said his organisation would continue to get involved even though there
was no coercive element in these relationships. “All the girls are above
18 years, and they marry with consent. But the girls cannot see the
sinister plot behind this fake love,” he claimed.
Surprisingly,
the police have taken no notice of this vigilante squad despite its
strong-arm tactics. “We have not received any complaints.
Inter-religious marriages are common these days,” said Dhule additional
police superintendent Akhilesh Kumar. “If there is any group that is
spreading rumours of a conspiracy, they might be doing so for political
benefit,” he added.
Dhananjay Desai alias Bhai is currently in jail in connection with the murder of Muslim techie Mohsin Shaikh.
