VHP puts ‘ghar wapasi’ on hold

VARANASI/KUSHINAGAR: Hinting that its ‘ghar wapasi’ campaign will be put on the backburner till the end of the winter session of Parliament, the saffron brigade now plans to focus on creating the right atmosphere to achieve its target of ‘converting’ 10,000 people in east UP during events being organized as a part of Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s golden jubilee year celebrations.
While VHP’s Kashi Pranth unit’s organizing secretary Manoj Srivastava refused to talk about the matter, sources in the saffron brigade said in view of the opposition’s protests in Parliament, the top leadership wants to keep the campaign in a pause mode till the session ends.
But the tightening of noose on the saffron brigade’s local units by the district administration and police in Ghazipur district has also compelled organizations such as the VHP and Hindu Yuva Vahini (HYV) to retreat for now.
Ghazipur district magistrate Narendra Singh Patel told TOI that functionaries of both the organizations were called at Sadar Kotwali police station on Monday and told to give details of their proposed programmes on December 17 and 18. The two organizations gave it in writing that ‘ghar wapasi’ was not the part of their events. After getting this declaration, the district administration and police allowed them to hold their meetings.
“We have taken a declaration from both organizations, but extra precautions like videography of their meeting would be initiated,” Patel said. “Apart from regular staff of intelligence wings, revenue department employees are also being engaged for intelligence collection by keeping a sharp vigil in the areas concerned.”
Srivastava said nobody could stop the VHP from creating an atmosphere for ‘ghar wapasi’ since it was a part of its agenda. The issue will also be discussed during Wednesday’s ‘Dharm Sabha’ being organized as part of VHP’s golden jubilee celebrations at Lanka ground in Ghazipur. “We’ve 370 ekal-vidyalaya (school with single teacher) in Ghazipur district and multi-member committees monitor these schools,” said a senior VHP office-bearer who is camping in Ghazipur. “The network of committees is mobilizing people to take part in the proposed meeting at Lanka ground.”
Making it clear that ‘ghar wapasi’ has been excluded from this meeting, VHP functionary Sudarshan said: “Our activities are not aimed at creating communal tension but the authorities will have to clear their stand on the missionaries that go for large-scale conversion from December 25 to 31 across the country, including Ghazipur.”
VHP functionaries are claiming that many Muslim families are in contact with them. They are focusing on those converted people who are being termed Muslim backwards or Christian Dalits. He said such converted people were dissatisfied because there had been no change in their social status even after conversion.
“We have given it in writing that ‘ghar wapasi’ is not part of our proposed meeting at Misirpur Gohna on December 18,” said HYV’s Ghazipur unit chief Rasbihari Rai. “But we will keep an eye on the district administration and police to see their action when the conversion session will be organized by the missionaries.”