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Vishva Hindu Parishad

The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) (transl.World Council of Hindus[8]) is an Indian right-wing Hindu organisation based on Hindu nationalism.[9] The VHP was founded in 1964 by M. S. Golwalkar and S. S. Apte in collaboration with Swami Chinmayananda. Its stated objective is "to organise, consolidate the Hindu society and to serve and protect the Hindu Dharma".[1] It was established to construct and renovate Hindu temples, and deal with matters of cow slaughter and religious conversion. The VHP is a member of the Sangh Parivar group,[10][11] the family of Hindu nationalist organisations led by the RSS.[12]

Vishva Hindu Parishad
Logo of the V.H.P, depicting a Banyan tree and the slogan dharmo rakṣati rakṣitaḥ
AbbreviationVHP
Formation29 August 1964; 59 years ago (29 August 1964)[1]
Founder
TypeFar-right[2]
PurposeHindu militancy[3][4][5][6]
Hindu nationalism, Hindutva, and pan-Dharmic religions
HeadquartersNew Delhi, India
Coordinates28°20′N 77°06′E / 28.33°N 77.10°E / 28.33; 77.10
Region served
Worldwide
Official language
Hindi
International President
Rabindra Narain Singh[7]
International Working President
Alok Kumar Advocate
Subsidiaries
AffiliationsSangh Parivar
Websitevhp.org

The VHP has been criticised for contributing to violence against Muslims in India, most notably for its role in the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992 over the Ayodhya dispute.[13][14]

History

The VHP was founded in 1964 by RSS leaders M. S. Golwalkar and S. S. Apte in collaboration with the Hindu spiritual leader Chinmayananda Saraswati.[15][16] According to Chinmayananda, the objective of the VHP was to awaken Hindus to their place in the comity of nations.[17]

Chinmayananda was nominated as its founding President, while Apte was nominated as its founding General Secretary. It was decided at the meeting that the name of the proposed organisation would be "Vishva Hindu Parishad" and that a world convention of Hindus was to be held at Prayag (Allahabad) during the Kumbh Mela of 1966 for its launch. It was further decided that it would be a non-political organisation and that no office bearer of any political party shall be simultaneously an office bearer in the Parishad.[18] The delegation of the founders also included Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan founder K. M. Munshi, Gujarati scholar Keshavram Kashiram Shastri, Sikh leader Tara Singh, Namdhari Sikh leader Satguru Jagjit Singh and eminent politicians such as C. P. Ramaswami Iyer.[19][18]

In the mid 1990s, VHP had 1.6 million members worldwide.[20] According to a 2008 estimate, VHP claimed 6.8 million members.[21]

Ideology

The VHP was first mooted at a conference in Pawai, Sandipani Sadhanalaya, Bombay on 29 August 1964. The conference was hosted by RSS chief M. S. Golwalkar. The date was chosen to coincide with the festival of Janmashtami. Several representatives from the Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist and Jain faiths were present in the meeting, as well as the Dalai Lama.[22] Golwalkar explained that "all faiths of Indian origins need to unite", saying that the word "Hindu" (people of "Hindustan") also applied to adherents of all the above religions.[23] Apte declared:

The world has been divided to Christian, Islam and communist. All of them view Hindu society as very fine rich food on which to feast and fatten themselves. It is necessary in this age of conflict to think of and organise the Hindu world to save it from the evils of all the three.[23]

Its main objective is "to organise, consolidate the Hindu society and to serve, protect the Hindu Dharma".[1] It has been involved in social service projects and in encouraging the construction and renovation of Hindu temples. It is against the caste system, and opposes cow slaughter. Defending Hindus around the world and Hindu rights has been one of its stated objectives.[24] The VHP considers Buddhists, Jains and Sikhs[22] as well as native tribal religions[citation needed] as part of the greater Hindu fraternity.

The VHP promotes the education and involvement of members of Hindu diaspora in their "cultural duties and spiritual values." This view was first promoted by Chinmayananda,[17]: 42  and is reflected in the promulgation of VHP organisations in Indo-Caribbean countries Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana and Suriname.[25]

The organisation acts under the guidance from Dharma Sansad, a religious parliament of Gurus.[19]

Religious conversion

The VHP is against religious conversion, and uses trained members known as Dharma Prasaar Vibhag (Dharma Propagation Unit) to meet their ends. The VHP also provides means for reconversion back to Hinduism. From 1982 to 1985, over 66,000 people were reconverted to Hinduism following the efforts of VHP.[26]

VHP claimed to have converted 5,000 people to Hinduism in 2002.[27] In 2004, VHP claimed to have converted 12,857 people to Hinduism. 3,727 of these were Muslims and 9,130 were Christians.[28]

In Punjab, the VHP has played an active role to prevent conversions of Sikhs. Majority of them are low caste Sikhs converting to Christianity. This may be a result of oppression by high caste Sikhs but there are considerable free will conversions among the higher class Sikhs too; however, the VHP have forcibly stopped Christian missionaries from converting Sikhs.[29]

VHP engaged in "re-conversion" program in the state of Orissa. In June 2002, VHP converted 143 tribal Christians into Hinduism in Tainser village of Sundergarh district.[27] In 2005, VHP in Bargarh carried out reconversion ceremony for 567 Christians. The new converts had signed affidavits, confirming their intention to change their religion. Another 600 Dalit tribal Christians were converted to Hinduism in Bijepur, Odisha.[30]

In April 2005, in West Bengal members of 45 tribal families converted to Hinduism from Christianity in a ceremony organised by Akhil Bhartiya Sanatan Santhal, allied to VHP.[30]

In March 2021, a Freedom to Religion Bill was passed in Madhya Pradesh, and the VHP plans to organise for action in other states.[31]

Beti Bachao Bahu Lao

Beti Bachao Bahu Lao is a campaign planned by the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and its affiliates Bajrang Dal etc., that claimed to marry young Muslim girls to Hindu men.[32]

In 2016, journalist Rahul Kotiyal of Scroll.in was awarded Ramnath Goenka Award for reporting on a campaign by RSS and Bajrang Dal named "Beti Bachao, Bahu Lao". The campaign attempted to stop Hindu girls from marrying non-Hindus. If RSS members get information of a Hindu girl planning to marry a Muslim man, then the RSS members would track the girl and would inform the parents of the girl accusing this to be a case of Love Jihad.[33]

Litigation

In 2005, after the protests organised by VHP, the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly passed a Cow Protection Commission Bill that made the killing of, cruelty to and illegal trading of cows a crime.[34]

In 2007, VHP had launched nationwide protest against demolition of the Rama Setu.[35] On 12 September 2007, the VHP, with the aid of BJP and the Rameswaram Sreeramsetu Surakshaya Manch, had blocked road and rail traffic in Orissa. Thousands of activists participated in these protests in Bhubaneswar, Jatani, Rourkela, and Sambalpur.[36][37]

Youth organisations

 
Local office of Vishva Hindu Parishad, at Haridwar

The Bajrang Dal founded in 1984, is organised in many states in major training camps called shakhas, where thousands of youths simultaneously train in various activities, receive sports, education in Hindutva and cultural indoctrination. The Durga Vahini, founded in 1991 under the tutelage of Sadhvi Rithambara as its founding chairperson and the support of the VHP, is described as the "female arm of the Dal". Members of the Vahini contend that the portrayal of their group as a branch of the Bajrang Dal is an oversimplification, and that their goals are to "dedicate ourselves to spiritual, physical, mental and knowledge development".[38] The VHP also have divisions made up of women. VHP secretary Giri Raj Kishore charted out highly visible roles for women in the group. He charted out two "satyagrahas" for women during their demonstrations.[39]

The VHP has been a prime backer of the World Hindu Conference in which issues such as casteism, sectarianism, and the future of Hindus were discussed. Prior Conferences have included Hindu Groups such as Parisada Hindu Dharma.[40]

International presence

Vishwa Hindu Parishad has presence in 29 countries outside of India.[25] The Australia wing of Vishva Hindu Parishad conducts activities such as conducting weekend schools, language classes, cultural workshops, festivals. The festivals are also organised for open to all communities promoting Unity in Diversity.[41] The press release from city council of Holroyd states that Vishva Hindu Parishad is active in supporting multiculturalism in the same region.[42]

 
Logo

Hindu Students Council (also known as HSC) is an organisation of Hindu students in the US and Canada. The HSC was set up in 1990 with support from the Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America.[43] Although the HSC says that it became fully independent in 2003,[44] its association with that body was a matter of some debate.[45] Prior to its separation from its parent organisation, it was considered to be the student-wing of the VHP.[46][47][48][49]

Violence

The VHP has been associated with violence on a number of occasions.

The VHP had been aggressively involved in the Ayodhya dispute over the Ram Janmabhoomi, or Babri Masjid before its demolition, since March 1984, after getting encouraged by the strong response it had got from ekatmata yatra programme, it organised in 1983, which was aimed at Hindu unity and self-protection against Islam and Christianity. This activity in the Ayodhya issue involved demonstrations, petitions and litigation, along with militant processions, forceful conversion ceremonies and incidents of violence and vandalism, particularly targeting Muslims.[50] The VHP is also said to have sought the destruction of the Babri mosque. According to the VHP and its affiliated organisations, the Babri Mosque was built by demolishing the temple at the birthplace of Rama (Ram Janmabhoomi) by the Mughal Emperor Babur in early 16th century. It further stated in Allahabad court documentation that the building was in a dilapidated condition. It was in ruins and could not be used for worship or any activities.[51][52][53][54] In 1989 , the VHP, keeping in view the impending Loksabha elections, organised a massive movement to start the construction of a Ram temple at the disputed site. The BJP-VHP organised a huge rally of 200000 volunteers at this site on 6 December, 1992 and set out to demolish the mosque.[55]

According to the Human Rights Watch, the VHP and Bajrang Dal, in collaboration with BJP had been involved in 2002 Gujarat riots.[56] Though VHP has denied these claims, VHP spokesman Kaushikbahi Mehta said, "We in the VHP had nothing to do with the violence except to take care of widows and victims of the Godhra mayhem."[57]

In 2015, VHP defended the demolition of a church in Haryana, although it has denied involvement in the incident. VHP joint general secretary Surendra Jain alleged that the church was built "for the purpose of aggressive conversion" and likened its destruction to the violence of the 1857 war which he claimed "was fought for the cause of religion".[58]

On 4 June 2018, the VHP was classified as a militant religious organisation by the CIA in its World Factbook's entry for India,[59] under the category of political pressure groups, along with Bajrang Dal.[60][61] The VHP reportedly explored legal options to have this tag removed.[62] The World Factbook removed the mentions of the VHP and the Bajrang Dal from the entry by 25 June 2018.[63]

Controversies

The Vishva Hindu Parishad has been involved in several controversies. This includes violence against minority religious groups as well as scheduled caste/tribe communities. The Vishva Hindu Parishad has also faced flak for acts of moral policing.

In 2002, following the Godhra train burning, VHP demanded a statewide bandh in the state of Gujarat. Several VHP leaders were involved in the 2002 Gujarat riots that followed, targeting Muslim communities statewide.

The VHP leader, Pravin Togadia, was arrested in April 2003 after distributing tridents to Bajrang Dal activists in Ajmer, defying a ban and prohibitory orders. He asserted that the coming Assembly polls in the Indian state of Rajasthan would be fought on the issue of tridents and attacked the ruling Indian National Congress Party for "placating" Muslims for electoral gains. He expressed satisfaction at the publicity received due to the incident.[64]

The VHP has been criticized for moral policing against couples celebrating Valentines Day. Calling it a western attack on Indian culture, the VHP and Bajrang Dal activists have been accused of threatening and intimidating couples for celebrating Valentines Day.[65]

On 2 November 2014, during the Kiss of Love protest against moral policing, members of Bajrang Dal, Shiv Sena, Vishwa Hindu Parishad and many other right wing groups opposed and attacked protestors and threatened to strip protestors for kissing on the streets. These opposing groups claimed that public display of affection is against both Indian culture and the law of the land (under section 294 of the Indian Penal Code), though according to the Supreme Court and the Delhi High Court, kissing in public is not a criminal offence.[66][67] Police took many of the Kiss of Love protestors into custody to save their lives, but were blamed for giving a free hand to counter protestors of the right wing groups.[68]

From 2015, Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad have been accused of promoting and indulging in Cow vigilantism, apparently targeting Muslims and lower caste Hindus, mostly Dalits. Human rights groups have slammed several state Governments for promoting and supporting such acts, even turning a blind eye. Police officers have been threatened by members of cow protection groups for intervening in such cases or arresting cow vigilantes.[69] Following the Una Flogging incident in Gujarat, where 4 dalits were brutally thrashed by Bajrang Dal goons and vigilantes when they were skinning dead cow carcasses, the victims have converted to Buddhism, which irked some perpetrators.[70][71]

On 15 August 2022, the eleven men sentenced to life imprisonment in the Bilkis Bano gangrape case, which occurred during the 2002 Gujarat riots, were released from a Godhra jail by the Gujarat government.[72] Following their release, the rapists were allegedly greeted with garlands from members of Bajrang Dal and Vishva Hindu Parishad.[73] The release and felicitation was criticized by several activists and members of opposition, and the release itself is controversial, because the convicts were released as per the old 1992 Remission Policy instead of the aggressive 2014 Policy. The challenge to release the rapists, which was pending in Supreme Court after a review petition was filed, was dismissed in December 2022, earning criticism from women's safety activists. The Supreme Court, however, redirected the Bombay High Court to look into the case.[74][75]

Following the decision to add caste as a form of discrimination by the city of Seattle and the state of California in the United States in 2023, VHP leaders and supporters criticized this decision and attempted to stop the legislations to pass the bill. [76] The decision was taken after caste-based discrimination issues in Silicon Valley came to the surface in 2020 with a lawsuit by the State of California against Cisco Systems filed by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH, later named Civil Rights Department).[77] The Department sued Cisco and two of its senior engineers for discrimination against a Dalit engineer (identified as "John Doe"), who alleged that he received lower wages and fewer opportunities because of his caste.[78][79]

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Bibliography

  • Clarke, Peter (2004). Encyclopedia of New Religious Movements. Routledge. ISBN 978-0-203-48433-3.
  • Jaffrelot, Christophe (2011). Religion, Caste, and Politics in India. C Hurst & Co. ISBN 978-1849041386.
  • Juergensmeyer, Mark (1993). The New Cold War? Religious Nationalism Confronts the Secular State. University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-08651-7.
  • Katju, Manjari (2013). Vishva Hindu Parishad and Indian Politics. Orient Blackswan. ISBN 978-81-250-2476-7.
  • Kumar, Praveen (2011). Communal Crimes and National Integration: A Socio-Legal Study. Readworthy Publications. ISBN 978-93-5018-040-2.
  • Smith, David James (2003). Hinduism and Modernity. Blackwell Publishing. ISBN 978-0-631-20862-4.

External links

  • Official website

vishva, hindu, parishad, transl, world, council, hindus, indian, right, wing, hindu, organisation, based, hindu, nationalism, founded, 1964, golwalkar, apte, collaboration, with, swami, chinmayananda, stated, objective, organise, consolidate, hindu, society, s. The Vishva Hindu Parishad VHP transl World Council of Hindus 8 is an Indian right wing Hindu organisation based on Hindu nationalism 9 The VHP was founded in 1964 by M S Golwalkar and S S Apte in collaboration with Swami Chinmayananda Its stated objective is to organise consolidate the Hindu society and to serve and protect the Hindu Dharma 1 It was established to construct and renovate Hindu temples and deal with matters of cow slaughter and religious conversion The VHP is a member of the Sangh Parivar group 10 11 the family of Hindu nationalist organisations led by the RSS 12 Vishva Hindu ParishadLogo of the V H P depicting a Banyan tree and the slogan dharmo rakṣati rakṣitaḥAbbreviationVHPFormation29 August 1964 59 years ago 29 August 1964 1 FounderM S GolwalkarS S ApteSwami ChinmayanandaTypeFar right 2 PurposeHindu militancy 3 4 5 6 Hindu nationalism Hindutva and pan Dharmic religionsHeadquartersNew Delhi IndiaCoordinates28 20 N 77 06 E 28 33 N 77 10 E 28 33 77 10Region servedWorldwideOfficial languageHindiInternational PresidentRabindra Narain Singh 7 International Working PresidentAlok Kumar AdvocateSubsidiariesBajrang Dal youth wing Durga Vahini women s wing AffiliationsSangh ParivarWebsitevhp wbr orgThe VHP has been criticised for contributing to violence against Muslims in India most notably for its role in the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992 over the Ayodhya dispute 13 14 Contents 1 History 2 Ideology 3 Religious conversion 3 1 Beti Bachao Bahu Lao 4 Litigation 5 Youth organisations 6 International presence 7 Violence 8 Controversies 9 References 10 Bibliography 11 External linksHistoryThe VHP was founded in 1964 by RSS leaders M S Golwalkar and S S Apte in collaboration with the Hindu spiritual leader Chinmayananda Saraswati 15 16 According to Chinmayananda the objective of the VHP was to awaken Hindus to their place in the comity of nations 17 Chinmayananda was nominated as its founding President while Apte was nominated as its founding General Secretary It was decided at the meeting that the name of the proposed organisation would be Vishva Hindu Parishad and that a world convention of Hindus was to be held at Prayag Allahabad during the Kumbh Mela of 1966 for its launch It was further decided that it would be a non political organisation and that no office bearer of any political party shall be simultaneously an office bearer in the Parishad 18 The delegation of the founders also included Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan founder K M Munshi Gujarati scholar Keshavram Kashiram Shastri Sikh leader Tara Singh Namdhari Sikh leader Satguru Jagjit Singh and eminent politicians such as C P Ramaswami Iyer 19 18 In the mid 1990s VHP had 1 6 million members worldwide 20 According to a 2008 estimate VHP claimed 6 8 million members 21 IdeologyThe VHP was first mooted at a conference in Pawai Sandipani Sadhanalaya Bombay on 29 August 1964 The conference was hosted by RSS chief M S Golwalkar The date was chosen to coincide with the festival of Janmashtami Several representatives from the Hindu Sikh Buddhist and Jain faiths were present in the meeting as well as the Dalai Lama 22 Golwalkar explained that all faiths of Indian origins need to unite saying that the word Hindu people of Hindustan also applied to adherents of all the above religions 23 Apte declared The world has been divided to Christian Islam and communist All of them view Hindu society as very fine rich food on which to feast and fatten themselves It is necessary in this age of conflict to think of and organise the Hindu world to save it from the evils of all the three 23 Its main objective is to organise consolidate the Hindu society and to serve protect the Hindu Dharma 1 It has been involved in social service projects and in encouraging the construction and renovation of Hindu temples It is against the caste system and opposes cow slaughter Defending Hindus around the world and Hindu rights has been one of its stated objectives 24 The VHP considers Buddhists Jains and Sikhs 22 as well as native tribal religions citation needed as part of the greater Hindu fraternity The VHP promotes the education and involvement of members of Hindu diaspora in their cultural duties and spiritual values This view was first promoted by Chinmayananda 17 42 and is reflected in the promulgation of VHP organisations in Indo Caribbean countries Trinidad and Tobago Guyana and Suriname 25 The organisation acts under the guidance from Dharma Sansad a religious parliament of Gurus 19 Religious conversionThe VHP is against religious conversion and uses trained members known as Dharma Prasaar Vibhag Dharma Propagation Unit to meet their ends The VHP also provides means for reconversion back to Hinduism From 1982 to 1985 over 66 000 people were reconverted to Hinduism following the efforts of VHP 26 VHP claimed to have converted 5 000 people to Hinduism in 2002 27 In 2004 VHP claimed to have converted 12 857 people to Hinduism 3 727 of these were Muslims and 9 130 were Christians 28 In Punjab the VHP has played an active role to prevent conversions of Sikhs Majority of them are low caste Sikhs converting to Christianity This may be a result of oppression by high caste Sikhs but there are considerable free will conversions among the higher class Sikhs too however the VHP have forcibly stopped Christian missionaries from converting Sikhs 29 VHP engaged in re conversion program in the state of Orissa In June 2002 VHP converted 143 tribal Christians into Hinduism in Tainser village of Sundergarh district 27 In 2005 VHP in Bargarh carried out reconversion ceremony for 567 Christians The new converts had signed affidavits confirming their intention to change their religion Another 600 Dalit tribal Christians were converted to Hinduism in Bijepur Odisha 30 In April 2005 in West Bengal members of 45 tribal families converted to Hinduism from Christianity in a ceremony organised by Akhil Bhartiya Sanatan Santhal allied to VHP 30 In March 2021 a Freedom to Religion Bill was passed in Madhya Pradesh and the VHP plans to organise for action in other states 31 Beti Bachao Bahu Lao Beti Bachao Bahu Lao is a campaign planned by the Vishva Hindu Parishad VHP and its affiliates Bajrang Dal etc that claimed to marry young Muslim girls to Hindu men 32 In 2016 journalist Rahul Kotiyal of Scroll in was awarded Ramnath Goenka Award for reporting on a campaign by RSS and Bajrang Dal named Beti Bachao Bahu Lao The campaign attempted to stop Hindu girls from marrying non Hindus If RSS members get information of a Hindu girl planning to marry a Muslim man then the RSS members would track the girl and would inform the parents of the girl accusing this to be a case of Love Jihad 33 LitigationIn 2005 after the protests organised by VHP the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly passed a Cow Protection Commission Bill that made the killing of cruelty to and illegal trading of cows a crime 34 In 2007 VHP had launched nationwide protest against demolition of the Rama Setu 35 On 12 September 2007 the VHP with the aid of BJP and the Rameswaram Sreeramsetu Surakshaya Manch had blocked road and rail traffic in Orissa Thousands of activists participated in these protests in Bhubaneswar Jatani Rourkela and Sambalpur 36 37 Youth organisationsMain article Bajrang Dal nbsp Local office of Vishva Hindu Parishad at HaridwarThe Bajrang Dal founded in 1984 is organised in many states in major training camps called shakhas where thousands of youths simultaneously train in various activities receive sports education in Hindutva and cultural indoctrination The Durga Vahini founded in 1991 under the tutelage of Sadhvi Rithambara as its founding chairperson and the support of the VHP is described as the female arm of the Dal Members of the Vahini contend that the portrayal of their group as a branch of the Bajrang Dal is an oversimplification and that their goals are to dedicate ourselves to spiritual physical mental and knowledge development 38 The VHP also have divisions made up of women VHP secretary Giri Raj Kishore charted out highly visible roles for women in the group He charted out two satyagrahas for women during their demonstrations 39 The VHP has been a prime backer of the World Hindu Conference in which issues such as casteism sectarianism and the future of Hindus were discussed Prior Conferences have included Hindu Groups such as Parisada Hindu Dharma 40 International presenceVishwa Hindu Parishad has presence in 29 countries outside of India 25 The Australia wing of Vishva Hindu Parishad conducts activities such as conducting weekend schools language classes cultural workshops festivals The festivals are also organised for open to all communities promoting Unity in Diversity 41 The press release from city council of Holroyd states that Vishva Hindu Parishad is active in supporting multiculturalism in the same region 42 nbsp LogoHindu Students Council also known as HSC is an organisation of Hindu students in the US and Canada The HSC was set up in 1990 with support from the Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America 43 Although the HSC says that it became fully independent in 2003 44 its association with that body was a matter of some debate 45 Prior to its separation from its parent organisation it was considered to be the student wing of the VHP 46 47 48 49 ViolenceThe VHP has been associated with violence on a number of occasions The VHP had been aggressively involved in the Ayodhya dispute over the Ram Janmabhoomi or Babri Masjid before its demolition since March 1984 after getting encouraged by the strong response it had got from ekatmata yatra programme it organised in 1983 which was aimed at Hindu unity and self protection against Islam and Christianity This activity in the Ayodhya issue involved demonstrations petitions and litigation along with militant processions forceful conversion ceremonies and incidents of violence and vandalism particularly targeting Muslims 50 The VHP is also said to have sought the destruction of the Babri mosque According to the VHP and its affiliated organisations the Babri Mosque was built by demolishing the temple at the birthplace of Rama Ram Janmabhoomi by the Mughal Emperor Babur in early 16th century It further stated in Allahabad court documentation that the building was in a dilapidated condition It was in ruins and could not be used for worship or any activities 51 52 53 54 In 1989 the VHP keeping in view the impending Loksabha elections organised a massive movement to start the construction of a Ram temple at the disputed site The BJP VHP organised a huge rally of 200000 volunteers at this site on 6 December 1992 and set out to demolish the mosque 55 According to the Human Rights Watch the VHP and Bajrang Dal in collaboration with BJP had been involved in 2002 Gujarat riots 56 Though VHP has denied these claims VHP spokesman Kaushikbahi Mehta said We in the VHP had nothing to do with the violence except to take care of widows and victims of the Godhra mayhem 57 In 2015 VHP defended the demolition of a church in Haryana although it has denied involvement in the incident VHP joint general secretary Surendra Jain alleged that the church was built for the purpose of aggressive conversion and likened its destruction to the violence of the 1857 war which he claimed was fought for the cause of religion 58 On 4 June 2018 the VHP was classified as a militant religious organisation by the CIA in its World Factbook s entry for India 59 under the category of political pressure groups along with Bajrang Dal 60 61 The VHP reportedly explored legal options to have this tag removed 62 The World Factbook removed the mentions of the VHP and the Bajrang Dal from the entry by 25 June 2018 63 ControversiesThe Vishva Hindu Parishad has been involved in several controversies This includes violence against minority religious groups as well as scheduled caste tribe communities The Vishva Hindu Parishad has also faced flak for acts of moral policing In 2002 following the Godhra train burning VHP demanded a statewide bandh in the state of Gujarat Several VHP leaders were involved in the 2002 Gujarat riots that followed targeting Muslim communities statewide The VHP leader Pravin Togadia was arrested in April 2003 after distributing tridents to Bajrang Dal activists in Ajmer defying a ban and prohibitory orders He asserted that the coming Assembly polls in the Indian state of Rajasthan would be fought on the issue of tridents and attacked the ruling Indian National Congress Party for placating Muslims for electoral gains He expressed satisfaction at the publicity received due to the incident 64 The VHP has been criticized for moral policing against couples celebrating Valentines Day Calling it a western attack on Indian culture the VHP and Bajrang Dal activists have been accused of threatening and intimidating couples for celebrating Valentines Day 65 On 2 November 2014 during the Kiss of Love protest against moral policing members of Bajrang Dal Shiv Sena Vishwa Hindu Parishad and many other right wing groups opposed and attacked protestors and threatened to strip protestors for kissing on the streets These opposing groups claimed that public display of affection is against both Indian culture and the law of the land under section 294 of the Indian Penal Code though according to the Supreme Court and the Delhi High Court kissing in public is not a criminal offence 66 67 Police took many of the Kiss of Love protestors into custody to save their lives but were blamed for giving a free hand to counter protestors of the right wing groups 68 From 2015 Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad have been accused of promoting and indulging in Cow vigilantism apparently targeting Muslims and lower caste Hindus mostly Dalits Human rights groups have slammed several state Governments for promoting and supporting such acts even turning a blind eye Police officers have been threatened by members of cow protection groups for intervening in such cases or arresting cow vigilantes 69 Following the Una Flogging incident in Gujarat where 4 dalits were brutally thrashed by Bajrang Dal goons and vigilantes when they were skinning dead cow carcasses the victims have converted to Buddhism which irked some perpetrators 70 71 On 15 August 2022 the eleven men sentenced to life imprisonment in the Bilkis Bano gangrape case which occurred during the 2002 Gujarat riots were released from a Godhra jail by the Gujarat government 72 Following their release the rapists were allegedly greeted with garlands from members of Bajrang Dal and Vishva Hindu Parishad 73 The release and felicitation was criticized by several activists and members of opposition and the release itself is controversial because the convicts were released as per the old 1992 Remission Policy instead of the aggressive 2014 Policy The challenge to release the rapists which was pending in Supreme Court after a review petition was filed was dismissed in December 2022 earning criticism from women s safety activists The Supreme Court however redirected the Bombay High Court to look into the case 74 75 Following the decision to add caste as a form of discrimination by the city of Seattle and the state of California in the United States in 2023 VHP leaders and supporters criticized this decision and attempted to stop the legislations to pass the bill 76 The decision was taken after caste based discrimination issues in Silicon Valley came to the surface in 2020 with a lawsuit by the State of California against Cisco Systems filed by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing DFEH later named Civil Rights Department 77 The Department sued Cisco and two of its senior engineers for discrimination against a Dalit engineer identified as John Doe who alleged that he received lower wages and fewer opportunities because of his caste 78 79 References a b c VHP at Glance Vhp org 29 August 1964 Retrieved 4 April 2021 Sravasti Dasgupta 8 July 2022 Far Right Groups in India opens Hindu Helpline The Independent Valiani Arafaat A 11 November 2011 Militant publics in India Physical culture and violence in the making of a modern polity New York NY Palgrave Macmillan p 180 ISBN 978 0 230 37063 0 Retrieved 17 February 2021 via Google Books In 2002 almost 2 000 Muslims were killed in carefully planned attacks by the VHP and the Bajrang Dal The state was governed by the BJP in 2002 and some BJP representatives brazenly justified and abetted the violence Parashar Swati 5 March 2014 Women and Militant Wars The politics of injury Routledge p 27 ISBN 978 1 134 11606 5 Retrieved 13 February 2021 via Google Books The Sangh Parivar literally known as the Sangh family includes groups such as the Rashtriye Swayamsewak Sangh the Bajrang Dal Shiv Sena and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad They articulate a militant Hindu nationalist politics opposing the Muslim other Alter Joseph S 1994 Somatic Nationalism Indian Wrestling and Militant Hinduism Modern Asian Studies 28 3 557 588 doi 10 1017 S0026749X00011860 ISSN 0026 749X JSTOR 313044 S2CID 146291615 Retrieved 13 February 2021 via JSTOR It would be anathema for the leaders of such militant groups as the RSS Shiva Sena and Bajrang Dal to let a Muslim voice speak to the issue of what is lacking among Hindus much less turn even nominally to an Islamic model of civility to define the terms of Hindu self development Anand Dibyesh May 2007 Anxious Sexualities Masculinity Nationalism and Violence British Journal of Politics and International Relations 9 2 257 269 doi 10 1111 j 1467 856x 2007 00282 x S2CID 143765766 Retrieved 13 February 2021 via Academia edu Amrish Ji a leader of a militant organisation Bajrang Dal in a public speech accused Muslims of treating Bharat Mata Mother India as a dayan witch Amrish Ji 2005 Rabindra Narain Singh elected as VHP president 13 December 2021 Jaffrelot Christophe 2009 Hindu Nationalism A Reader Princeton University Press p 19 ISBN 978 1 4008 2803 6 Jaffrelot Christophe 31 December 2008 Hindu Nationalism and the Not So Easy Art of Being Outraged The Ram Setu Controversy South Asia Multidisciplinary Academic Journal 2 doi 10 4000 samaj 1372 ISSN 1960 6060 Jelen Ted Gerard Wilcox Clyde 2002 Religion and Politics in Comparative Perspective The One The Few and The Many Cambridge University Press p 253 ISBN 978 0 521 65031 1 DP Bhattacharya ET Bureau 4 August 2014 Communal skirmishes rising after Narendra Modi s departure from Gujarat Economic Times Articles economictimes indiatimes com Retrieved 14 August 2014 Timeline of events including formation of VHP RSS Retrieved 1 April 2021 Thomas Blom Hansen 1999 The Saffron Wave Democracy and Hindu Nationalism in Modern India Princeton University Press ISBN 978 0195645743 VHP s social service activities The Hindu 18 December 2011 Retrieved 24 August 2014 Katju 2013 p 5 Kurien Prema 2001 Religion ethnicity and politics Hindu and Muslim Indian immigrants in the United States Ethnic and Racial Studies 24 2 268 doi 10 1080 01419870020023445 S2CID 32217209 a b Katju Manjari 1998 The Early Vishva Hindu Parishad 1964 to 1983 Social Scientist 26 5 6 34 60 doi 10 2307 3517547 JSTOR 3517547 a b Inception of VHP vhp org Retrieved 24 August 2014 a b Katju 2013 J Gordon Melton Martin Baumann 21 September 2010 Religions of the World A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Beliefs and Practices 2nd Edition 6 volumes A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Beliefs and Practices ABC CLIO ISBN 9781598842043 New Delhi left grasping for answers to violence The National 13 October 2008 a b Long Jeffery D 2011 Historical dictionary of Hinduism New ed Lanham Md Scarecrow Press p 319 ISBN 978 0 8108 6764 2 a b Smith 2003 p 189 Welcome to Organiser Organiser org 25 August 2013 Retrieved 14 August 2014 a b व द श म ह न द Hindus abroad Vhp Archived from the original on 6 October 2021 Retrieved 7 April 2020 Parvathy A A 2003 Lost Years of the RSS Deep and Deep Publications p 127 ISBN 9788176294508 a b Faith Under Fire Anamika Pub amp Distributors 2008 p 370 ISBN 9788174953209 Basu Amrita 2015 Violent Conjunctures in Democratic India Cambridge University Press p 47 ISBN 9781107089631 Rana Yudhvir 31 March 2005 VHP against conversions in Punjab The Times of India Archived from the original on 11 August 2011 a b Praveen Kumar Chaudhary 2011 Communal Crimes and National Integration A Socio legal Study Readworthy p 100 ISBN 9789350180402 Siddique Iram 12 March 2021 Identifying missionaries who carry out illegal religious conversions VHP Bahu lao beti bachao Bajrang Dal launches its own version of love jihad 29 December 2014 Archived from the original on 1 January 2015 Retrieved 29 December 2014 Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism Winners all The Indian Express 26 June 2018 Retrieved 11 December 2021 Atul Kohli Prerna Singh 2013 Routledge Handbook of Indian Politics Routledge ISBN 9781135122744 Arvind Sharma Madhu Khanna 2013 Asian Perspectives on the World s Religions after September 11 ABC CLIO p 207 ISBN 9780313378973 Chatterji Angana P 1 March 2009 Violent gods Hindu nationalism in India s present narratives from Orissa Three Essays Collective Ram Setu VHP rail and road blockade in Orissa on Sept 12 Zee News 8 September 2008 Women Ram Bhakt hog limelight The Tribune Kohli Atul 2000 The Success of India s Democracy Cambridge University Press p 174 ISBN 978 0 521 80144 7 Historic world Hindu conference at Prayag News Today March 2007 Archived from the original on 18 March 2009 Community Directory Multicultural vic gov au 23 March 2014 Retrieved 24 August 2014 Hindu heritage inspires multiculturalism in Holroyd Holroyd City Council Holroyd nsw gov au 13 February 2014 Retrieved 24 August 2014 Kaur Raminder 2003 Performative Politics And The Cultures Of Hinduism Public Uses of Religion in Western India London Permanent Black VHPA History and Milestones vhp america org 15 May 2020 Retrieved 5 April 2021 Roof Wade Clark 2000 Contemporary American Religion Macmillan p 305 Rajagopal Arvind 2001 Politics After Television Religious Nationalism and the Reshaping of the Indian Public Cambridge University Press p 257 2003 Yearbook the Centre for the Study of Global Governance London School of Economics Kamdar Mira 1 September 2002 The Struggle for India s Soul World Policy Journal 19 3 11 27 doi 10 1215 07402775 2002 4006 Diana Eck February 2000 Raymond Brady Williams Harold G Coward and John Russell Hinnells ed Negotiating Hindu Identities in America p 234 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a work ignored help Katju Manjari 2003 Vishva Hindu Parishad and Indian Politics Orient Blackswan pp 8 113 ISBN 9788125024767 Katju Manjari 2003 Vishva Hindu Parishad and Indian Politics Orient Blackswan pp 45 67 ISBN 9788125024767 Russell Malcolm 1 August 2012 Middle East and South Asia 2012 Rowman amp Littlefield p 231 ISBN 9781610488891 Ayodhya files Vol 7 PDF Allahabad High Court Retrieved 24 August 2014 Vinod Mishra December 1992 On Communalism Marxists org Retrieved 24 August 2014 Chandra Bipan Mukherjee Aditya Mukherjee Mridula 2008 India Since Independence Penguin Books India pp 610 11 ISBN 978 0 14 310409 4 We Have No Orders to Save You State Participation and Complicity in Communal Violence in Gujarat www hrw org Human Rights Watch 1 April 2002 Retrieved 24 May 2017 Eves as Ram bhakts the Gujarat model Times of India 11 April 2002 Tiwary Deeptiman 17 March 2015 VHP defends attack on Haryana church calls 1857 communal war Times of India Retrieved 6 April 2021 Political Pressure Groups and Leaders www cia gov 8 June 2018 Archived from the original on 8 June 2018 Dua Rohan 15 June 2018 VHP a militant religious outfit RSS nationalist CIA factbook The Times of India CIA calls VHP Bajrang Dal religious militant organisations The Tribune 15 June 2018 CIA classifies VHP Bajrang Dal as millitant religious outfits India Today Ist 14 June 2018 Retrieved 13 October 2019 Reddy Akhil 24 February 2021 Older version of CIA s World Factbook listed Bajrang Dal and VHP as militant religious organisation Factly Retrieved 2 April 2021 Togadia defies ban distributes tridents Usurped The Hindu Gupta Suchandana 15 February 2008 On V Day Bajrang Dal men force couple to get married The Times of India Archived from the original on 21 October 2012 Kissing in public by married couple not obscene HC The Times of India Retrieved 26 November 2014 Kerala High Court refuses to interfere with Kochi Kiss fest The Indian Express 31 October 2014 Retrieved 17 October 2021 Prakash Asha 5 November 2014 We took kiss of love activists into custody to save their lives The Times of India Retrieved 17 October 2021 India Cow Protection Spurs Vigilante Violence hrw org 27 April 2017 Retrieved 20 May 2021 Four Dalit men stripped beaten by cow protection vigilantes in Gujarat Hindustan Times 12 July 2016 Two Years Later Una Flogging Incident Victims Attacked Again The Wire Bilkis Bano gangrape 11 men sentenced to life imprisonment released from jail Scroll in 16 August 2022 Bilkis Bano rape case VHP greets released convicts with garlands in Gujarat TimesNow Scroll Staff Bilkis Bano case Convict opposes petitions in Supreme Court challenging his release Scroll in Bilkis Bano SC Dismisses Petition Against Release Of 11 Rape Murder Convicts No To Caste Discrimination After Seattle California Struggles To Pass Anti Caste Bill Anahita Mukherji 10 March 2021 California s Legal Ground in Battling Caste Discrimination Takes Centre Stage in Historic Cisco Case The Wire Web Desk 1 July 2020 California sues Cisco over discrimination against dalit employee The Week Rishi Iyengar 1 July 2020 California sues Cisco for alleged discrimination against employee because of caste CNN BibliographyClarke Peter 2004 Encyclopedia of New Religious Movements Routledge ISBN 978 0 203 48433 3 Jaffrelot Christophe 2011 Religion Caste and Politics in India C Hurst amp Co ISBN 978 1849041386 Juergensmeyer Mark 1993 The New Cold War Religious Nationalism Confronts the Secular State University of California Press ISBN 978 0 520 08651 7 Katju Manjari 2013 Vishva Hindu Parishad and Indian Politics Orient Blackswan ISBN 978 81 250 2476 7 Kumar Praveen 2011 Communal Crimes and National Integration A Socio Legal Study Readworthy Publications ISBN 978 93 5018 040 2 Smith David James 2003 Hinduism and Modernity Blackwell Publishing ISBN 978 0 631 20862 4 External links nbsp Hinduism portal nbsp Conservatism portal nbsp India portalOfficial website Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Vishva Hindu Parishad amp oldid 1172296385, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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