In recent years, several fringe groups have been advocating for the cause of a Hindu Rashtra. While some are gaining traction through social media platforms, others are clamoring to stay relevant
Vishnu Gupta has a temporary office in a small residential property in a narrow lane in an area of East Delhi. The Hindu army chief holds a Bhagavad Gita on his desk, a religious poster behind his chair, and a sword next to the kitchen area.
Mr. Gupta claims that he gives a Bhagavad Gita and a sword to all new members of the organization so that they can “protect their families” and “only intimidate people by wielding a sword, if necessary”.
Phrases like “Hindutva”, “Hindu Rashtra”, “Jai Shri Ram”, “Bharat Mata ki Jai” have become common since the BJP came to power at the Center in 2014. One reason for this appears to be the rapid growth of fringe groups. Inspired by the current regime, these organizations organize public meetings and protests to propagate their beliefs.
Recently, five members of Hindu Sena were arrested for vandalizing the house of MP Asaduddin Owaisi on Ashoka Road. In a Facebook post, one member, Lalit Kumar, who was later arrested, said that he and his fellow members wanted to teach Mr. Owaisi a “lesson” because of his “anti-Hindu” speeches.
On 8 August at Jantar Mantar, several fringe groups, which had gathered to demand an end to the essentially British-era laws, turned the occasion into an event of “nationalism”, where anti-Muslim slogans were raised. were imposed.
steady growth
The Hindu Sena, which came into existence in 2011, started with 50 members. Although it did 2. recorded steady growth till014 claimed membership of 4 lakh, it added only 1 lakh new members in the last six years. The organization now has a presence in 16 states, Mr Gupta said, adding that over 10 lakh people have joined it through social media platforms.
According to Mr. Gupta, the Hindu Sena accepts members who are “already trained in the branches of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh” or who “want a Hindu nation”. “Thinking people like us come and join us. Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp play a vital role in publicizing our work and faith. This is how we have grown,” he said.
Born in UP’s Etah village, Mr. Gupta was only six years old when he was drawn to the idea of a Hindu Rashtra. He was a witness to the events of the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992. “In 1990 and 1991, while attending a school run by the RSS, I would see crowds in the village gathering and shouting “Jai Shri Ram”. ‘As were the slogans’Bachcha Bachcha Ram’s work…‘ is written on the walls of the village. I felt an adrenaline rush and thus a sense of nationalism instilled in me,” he said.
While studying at Dyal Singh College, he joined the youth wing of Shiv Sena. His superiors and comrades told him, “You are aggressive, you should join Bajrang Dal, the youth wing of Vishwa Hindu Parishad”. He joined the organization in 2008.
Mr. Gupta founded Hindu Sena in 2011 because he wanted to be “more aggressive” and organize events on the issues he wanted. “The ruling party has to do vote bank politics, so I cannot speak openly for Hindus. I wanted to be free,” he said.
Another fringe organization that again came into limelight after the Jantar Mantar incident was the Hindu Sena founded by Deepak Singh. He was arrested in the second week of August for his alleged involvement in raising provocative slogans at Jantar Mantar.
Speaking after his release from prison on October 1, Mr Singh said around 20 people started the organization a year ago and its current strength is around 6,500. “We work for the cows, Ganga and Hindus who need help,” he said.
Mr Singh, who previously worked for the Bajrang Dal, runs a straightforward agenda: “The simple objective is… to make religious awakening in the society, to make people aware of the nation, to awaken the national spirit. (The aim is simple – to make people aware about religion, about the nation and to create a sense of nationalism)”.
Another fringe organization Sudarshan Vahini was founded by Vinod Sharma. He also recently spent 52 days in jail for his involvement in the Jantar Mantar incident. Speaking after his release on 30 September, he said his morale had plummeted since his arrest and that he could shut down the organization if he continued to “get into trouble”.
Mr. Sharma founded the organization in 2016 with three people. He said that it now has 1.5 lakh members across the country thanks to social media.
A property dealer by profession, Mr. Sharma said he joined the Hindu Sena, but parted ways with Mr. Gupta after a few years because their “thought process” did not match. Dissociating himself from the Jantar Mantar incident, he called the sloganeering “behudgi (reckless)”. “Promote your own religion, don’t insult anyone else,” he pleaded.
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