Bajrang Dal

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Bajrang Dal (Hindi: बजरंग दल, English: The Brigade of Bajrang) is the youth wing of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), and one of the Sangh Parivar family of organizations based on the core ideology of Hindutva. Founded on October 1, 1984 in Uttar Pradesh, India, it has since spread throughout India. The group claims to have 1,300,000 members, of whom 850,000 are workers, and runs about 2,500 akhadas (similar to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's shakhas). "Bachelor" is in reference to the Hindu deity Hanumān.

The Bajrang Dal's slogan is "सेवा सुरक्षा संस्कृति" ('sevā surakṣā saṃskṛti'), or "service, safety, and culture". An integral part of its agenda is preventing the slaughter of cows. One of the Dal's goals is to liberate the Ramjanmabhoomi temple in Ayodhya, the Krishnajanmabhoomi temple in Mathura and the Kashi Vishwanath temple in Kashi (Varanasi), which are currently disputed places of worship. Another goal is to protect India's Hindu identity, from the perceived dangers of Muslim population growth, Christian conversions, and anti-national communists. Its members were centrally involved in the demolition of Babri Mosque, that Hindus claim to be built on the ruins of Ram Janmabhoomi temple, in Ayodhya in 1992.

Contents 1 Origin 2 Ideology and Agenda 3 Controversies 4 List of presidents 5 References 6 External links

[edit] Origin

In October 1984, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) initiated the practice of regular processions to be held in Ayodhya in the state of Uttar Pradesh. These processions were called "Ram-Janaki Rathayatra" and were aimed at "awakening the society". While the VHP did not officially claim any anti-religion drivers for this practice, some sections of the society in India viewed this as a pro-Hindu movement. As a result, there was an environment of communal tension and threat surrounding this procession. Under these circumstances, 'holy saints' (members of VHP) called upon the youth to protect the procession, thus the Bajrang Dal was formed. Eventually, most of the members of Bajrang Dal have come to be very proud of the group and the group now has members outside of Uttar Pradesh as well.

[edit] Ideology and Agenda

Among the goals of the Bajrang Dal in modern India is a reversing of the invasions by Muslim conquerors and the British Empire. They include demands to convert disputed historical monuments into temples . ^[1]. The Bajrang Dal asserts on its website that they are neither communal or divisive. In particular, they say ^[2]

"The Bajrang Dal is not against any religion. It acknowledges respecting the faith of other people, but expects and asserts for a similar respect of the Hindu Sentiments. Being Hindu, the Bajrang Dal believes in validity of All Religions and Respect for all human beings, irrespective of caste, color, and religion (Aatmasvat Sarva Bhuteshu). It is for this purpose that the Bajrang Dal has undertaken various public-awakening campaigns. It does not believe in violence or any unlawful activity."

In addition, Bajrang Dal said they would circulate five million handbills, giving details about the activities of Christian missionaries. Bajrang Dal national convenor Surendra Kumar Jain today said the outfit would “peacefully” expose questionable means adopted by some Christian bodies to convert poor people under a world evangelical plan that specially targeted Hindu-majority India ^[3].

Bajrang Dal, together with the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, has spoken out against Islamic Terrorism in India and have announced that they will carry out awareness campaigns across the nation. They have alleged that Islamic terrorists are hiding among the general population in India and mean to expose them^[4].Bajrang Dal convener Prakash Sharma stressed that they were not targeting any particular community, but were trying to "wake up" the people of India, particularly the youth, to the dangers of terrorism in the light of the 2002 Akshardham Temple attack allegedly perpetrated by Islamic terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba^[5].

Bajrang Dal also share VHP's position against the slaughter of cows (regarded as sacred animals in Hinduism) and have protested against organizations like the "Communal Harmony forum" for opposing proposed bans on bovine slaughter, calling their stand as an anti-Hindu one.^[6].

[edit] Controversies

• In January 1999, allegations were made that "militants" belonging to Bajrang Dal attacked and killed a missionary and his two sons. The missionary, Graham Staines, was an Australian and had been working with leprosy sufferers for a period of 34 years. Staines' sons, Philip and Timothy (aged 10 and 8 respectively) were sleeping in a jeep when they were burnt to death." The Bajrang Dal denounced the Christian missionary, claiming they use pressure on poor people to convert to Christianty and turn them against Hindus. ^[7]. However, Bajrang Dal spokespeople assert that they were not involved in the incident. The investigation finally revealed that the murders were carried out by a Dara Singh as well as 12 other perpetrators. Dara Singh is an active sympathizer of the Bajrang Dal, but involvement of the Bajrang Dal has been ruled out in the planning and executing of the crime.^[8] Bajrang Dal national convenor Surendra Kumar Jain had written to the widow of Graham Staines, conveying the outfit's anguish at the gruesome death of her husband and their children in Orissa's Keonjhar district. The Dal chief said he wrote to her saying that the outfit was not behind the killings, though they are opposed to missionary activities.^[9]

"We do oppose the activities of the Missionaries because we think they dupe the poor into embracing their religion by allurements and false promises of faith healing,"^{[citation needed]}

In particular, journalist and right wing sympathetic author Arun Shourie has written an analysis claiming that the entire incident is a smear campaign against Bajrang Dal by Christian Missionaries ^[10].

• Human Rights Watch alleges that Bajrang Dal had been involved in riots against Muslims in the 2002 Gujarat violence[1].Human Rights Watch has come under fire for biased reporting of the incident, specifically anti-India and anti-Hindu bias ^[11][12]. Bajrang Dal also came to the aid of Dalits who were victims of counter-rioting by Muslims[2].

• In April 2006, two Bajrang Dal activists were killed in nearby Nanded in the process of bomb making. The same group of activists were also suspected for perpetrating the 2003 Parbhani mosque blasts. ^[13]. NDTV subsequently accused the police of a coverup in Nandhed^[14] A report by the Secular Citizen's Forum & PUCL, Nagpur claimed to have found maps of mosques at the home of one of the deceased. ^[15]

• Bajrang Dal has also been suspected for the 2006 blasts at Malegaon, though investigators have commented that it is too early to speculate and have also pointed to Islamist terror outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba as suspects^[16][17].There is presently no evidence that points to Bajrang Dal's involvement in the bombings ^[18]. The most recent arrests regarding this incident (on October 30, 2006) involved members of the Students Islamic Movement of India^[19]. As of that date, the Islamist groups are prime suspects.

• The VHP leader, Praveen Togadia, was arrested in April 2003 after distributing tridents to Bajrang Dal activists in Ajmer defying ban and prohibitory orders. Togadia asserted that the coming Assembly polls in the Indian state of Rajasthan would be fought on the issue of tridents and attacked the ruling Congress Party for "placating" Muslims for electoral gains. He expressed satisfaction at the publicity received due to the incident^[20].
• The Bajrang Dal has been accused of not allowing Muslims to own land in parts of Gujarat by attacking traders who sell to Muslims and by attacking Muslim homes and forcing the sale of the house or flat. This creates a ghettoisation of large cities in Gujarat, like Ahmedabad and Vadodara.^[21]
• Bajrang Dal has also received criticism from moderate Hindu Nationalist organizations such as the Hindu Mahasabha, who have criticized the group for it's extremist measures. Bajrang Dal has been criticized for adopting the same violent methods as the Islamic Fundamentalists in their attempt to curb the spread of Islamic terrorism, a move deemed by the Mahasabha to be counterproductive^[22].In addition, the Bharatiya Janata Party leaders have also come out in criticism of Bajrang Dal.BJP member and former prime minister of India Atal Bihari Vajpayee said that the Bajrang Dal "only embarrassed the BJP" and urged the Sangh Parivar to "rein them in"^[23].

[edit] List of presidents

• Vinay Katiyar
• Jaibhan Singh Pawaiya
• Dr. Surendra Jain
• Prakash Sharma (current president)

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Official Bajrang Dal website
• Report of Human Rights Watch referring to the role of Bajrang Dal in Gujarat 2002 Riots