Key VHP meet at Mahakumbh to focus on religious conversion

Full-time ‘dharam rakshaks’ appointed to prevent religious conversion, bring the converted back to Hindu fold, says VHP chief

Kenneth John

Stage set for the board of trustees and managing committee meeting of the VHP at Mahakumbh (Anil Kumar Maurya/HT)

‘Ghar wapsi’ (re-conversion) will be a major point of deliberation at the three-day Central level meeting of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) scheduled to be held from February 7 to 9 at the ongoing Mahakumbh Mela in Prayagraj.

The VHP has already engaged 1000 full-time ‘dharam rakshaks’ focused on the twin strategy of preventing religious conversion and reconverting people back to the Hindu fold, Vishwa Hindu Parishad president Alok Kumar said to Hindustan Times over the phone from Delhi.

Increasing the Hindu population, freeing temples from government control, besides a ban on religious conversion and a common law for all religion charities would be other issues likely to be discussed at the meeting.

“Three years back, the Parishad identified 1000 problem blocks worst hit by religious conversion. The VHP engaged 1000 full time dharam rakshaks with some sustenance amount for their families. They are focused on the twin strategy of preventing and reverting the converted back to Hinduism. They are not allowed to do any other work of VHP,” Kumar said.

A high-level meeting of the board of trustees and the managing committee of the VHP will be held on February 7 wherein the core agenda would be discussed, VHP national spokesperson Vinod Bansal said.

An action plan for the next six months will be prepared at the VHP meeting. It will take forward the Parishad’s agenda from the national to the prant (provincial) and district level.

Also, a decision is likely to be taken on carrying out a door-to-door awareness campaign for increasing the Hindu population with a minimum of two to three children in every family, besides pressing the government to free temple trusts from its control.

Sadhus at the Margdarshak Mandal meeting of the Parishad had appealed for increasing Hindu population by ensuring a minimum of two to three children per Hindu family.