The Hindu Yuva Vahini (HYV) is a Hindu youth group, founded by Yogi Adityanath, intended successor of the Gorakhpur Mutt temple in Gorakhpur, India. The group has a high penetration among the nationalist youth of eastern Uttar Pradesh, where the feeling of the nationalism dominates over day today shortcommings.[1]
By organizing various movements such as ‘Ram Prakostha’ for pavement dwellers and the ‘Bansfod Hindu Manch’ for woodcutters, Adityanath has provided a sense of identity for many of these frustrated youth, who have swelled the ranks of the Hindu Yuva Vahini. The HYV has many Dalit members in addition to traditional caste Hindus, and the group is united by opposition to Islamic Fundamentalists who have a history of dominating the region and engaging in the persecution of Hindus, especially low-caste Dalits who were rarely accorded protection from Islamic persecution by the caste Hindus because of traditional casteist prejudices.
The Hindu Yuva Vahini has been charged by the police in the Mau riots of October 2005, where they organized the Hindu forces in opposition to a politician Mukhtar Ansari, the alleged murderer of extremist hardlinerBharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state legislature member Krishnanand Rai.[2] Charges of inciting riots, murder, and arson were brought against Hindu Yuva Vahini leaders Ajit Singh Chandel and Sujit Kumar Singh[3], along Ansari and some others in the opposite camp. Eventually, a curfew was imposed on Mau for nearly a month.
The same groups accuse HYV of involvement in the Gorakhpur riots of January 26-31, 2007. After the arrest of Yogi Adityanath, the HYV launched retaliations. Two coaches of the Mumbai bound Mumbai-Gorakhpur Godan Express were set ablaze on January 30, 2007.[4]
It has also been involved in attacking Muslim boys in Hyderabad after Eid ul Adha in November 2011 by the Hyderabad police. Assailants would ride on bikes and stab or hit Muslim youths in a simultaneous and coordinated attacks around the city[5].