Mumbai: Lakhs of members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), a front organisation of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), have fanned out across the nation appealing to people to vote only for that party which is working in the interest of Hindus. The cadres do not specifically ask for votes in the name of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). But, the message is conveyed all the same. All India organising secretary of the VHP Milind Parande told the FPJ in an exclusive interview on Friday that the Parishad has been receiving "very good response" for the drive.
He said the ongoing parliamentary elections were historic in nature and will define the future of India for several decades to come. He said the polls are taking place in the background of "tremendous awakening" within Hindu society. "The situation now is such that no party can abuse Hindus, do politics at the national level and succeed. A positive change has taken place at the ground level in the form of heightened awareness among Hindus," he observed. The construction of the Ramjanmabhoomi temple at Ayodhya after several decades of struggle, the implementation of CAA, the scrapping of Article 370 and other measures have demonstrated what Hindus can achieve if they are united.
He said it is precisely because of this that certain forces within the country and outside have joined hands to stop the rise of Hindu society and are doing everything possible to thwart the aspirations of millions of Hindus. This is a challenge which has to be accepted and an all out effort should be made to counter these forces "in the interest of Hindus which is the same as national interest", he maintained.
Parande, who recently toured West Bengal, said even in that state which was ruled by the Marxists for several decades and where Mamata Banerjee is consistently "hurting and abusing Hindus," there is a big Hindu surge. "During the recent Ram Navami celebrations, the Shobha Yatra in Siliguri was attended by six lakh people. In Naxalbari, the home of the Naxalite movement, one lakh people took part in the procession. This is unprecedented and augurs well for Bengali Hindus," he observed. The VHP is telling Hindus all over India that voting is not your right, but your bounden duty because the stakes for them are so very high this time around. The VHP is also opposing the NOTA option "since it resulted in the waste of precious votes."
VHP's Plans For Interests Of Hindus Nationwide
Parande said independent of the elections, the VHP has chalked out plans to further the interests of Hindus. For instance, the liberation of temples from government control was high on the agenda. A think tank composed of retired judges, noted lawyers and other experts is being set up and tasked with presenting a management model for administering temples all over India. Also a dispute resolution mechanism will be set up so that without moving the courts matters relating to temple administration etc can be resolved amicably.
The VHP will also demand the promulgation of a strong pan-India anti religious conversion law with a view to end conversions, including love-jihad, which are being carried out by vested interests with foreign help. With a view to forge Hindu unity, the "samajik samarasta" (social unity) campaign will be given a boost and a movement to checkmate the evils of casteism, dowry and other social evils will be undertaken. "The VHP is 60 years old and with over 5,000 service projects it has been working tirelessly to promote and defend Hindu interests. In the coming years, these activities will be given a fillip with a view to strengthen the nation internally," he added.
