Bajrang Dal

Bajrang Dal
बजरंग दल
Motto "Service, safety, and culture"
Formation 1 October 1984 (1984-10-01)
Type Specialised agency of VHP
Legal status Active
Headquarters New Delhi, India
Region served
India
Official language
Hindi
Head
Rajesh Pandey
Parent organisation
Vishva Hindu Parishad
Website Bajrang Dal

The Bajrang Dal is a militant Hindu organisation that forms the youth wing of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and a member of the RSS family of organisations.[1][2] The ideology of the organisation is based on Hindu fundamentalism.[2][3] Founded on 1 October 1984 in Uttar Pradesh, it has since spread throughout India,[4] although its most significant base remains the northern and central portions of the country. The group runs about 2,500 akhadas, similar to the shakhas (branches) of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. The name "Bajrang" is a reference to the Hindu deity Hanuman.

The Bajrang Dal's slogan is 'Sevā Surakṣā Sanskṛti' or "service, safety and culture." One of the main goals of the Dal is to build the Ramjanmabhoomi temple in Ayodhya, the Krishnajanmabhoomi temple in Mathura and the Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi, which are currently disputed places of worship. Other goals include protecting India's "Hindu" identity from the perceived dangers of communism, Muslim demographic growth and Christian conversion, as well as the prevention of cow slaughter.

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, many 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, Hindu saints in the VHP called upon the youth to protect the procession. Thus, the Bajrang Dal came into existence.

The organisation has since spread beyond Uttar Pradesh.

Ideology and agenda

Among the goals of the Bajrang Dal in modern India is a reversing of the Islamic Invasions and British imperialism. They include demands to convert historical monuments currently disputed into temples.[5] The Bajrang Dal asserts on its website that they are neither communal or divisive. In particular, they say[6]

"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 said the outfit would peacefully expose what he described as questionable means adopted by some Christian bodies to convert poor people under a world evangelical plan that specially targeted Hindu-majority India.[7]

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 stated that Islamic terrorists are hiding among the general population in India and mean to expose them.[8] 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 perpetrated by terrorists linked to the militant group Lashkar-e-Toiba.[9][10]

Bajrang Dal shares the VHP's position against cow slaughter and has supported proposals for banning it.[11] The Gujarat Bajrang Dal is at the forefront of the anti-beauty contest agitation. Another of its objectives is preventing Hindu-Muslim marriages.[12] The organisation claims to work towards eradicating social evils like dowry and untouchability.

Controversies

Criticism

The United States Department of State's annual report on international religious freedom for 2000 and World Report (2000) by the Human Rights Watch labelled this organisation as a Hindu extremist group.[29][30] Paul R. Brass, Professor Emeritus of Political Science and South Asian Studies at the University of Washington, described the Bajrang Dal as Indian equivalent of Nazi Germany's Sturmabteilung.[31]

Many Christian leaders took exception to this letter saying that Hinduism is a pluralistic religion. According to them The term Hindu extremists in the letter is unfortunate because we've maintained that criminals have no religion and whatever happened in August–September, 2008, was never the act of Hindus, said Orissa Minority Front president Swarupananda Patra. Blaming Hindus doesn't make minorities happy, as they are aware of Hinduism's secular tenant which probably isn't known to the US lawmakers.[32]

Bajrang Dal has also received criticism from moderate Hindu Nationalist organisations such as the Hindu Mahasabha. Bajrang Dal has been criticised 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.[33] In addition, the Bharatiya Janata Party member and former prime minister of India Atal Bihari Vajpayee have also come out in criticism of Bajrang Dal. Vajpayee said that the Bajrang Dal "only embarrassed the BJP" and urged the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to "rein them in".[34] After the Religious violence in Odisha, the Bharatiya Janata Party Prime Ministerial candidate L. K. Advani advised the Bajrang Dal to cease association with violence, concerned with the fact that it took pressure off the UPA government in Delhi[35]

Demand for ban

List of presidents

See also

References

  1. Chetan Bhatt (2001). Hindu Nationalism: Origins, Ideologies and Modern Myths. Berg Publishers. p. 199. ISBN 978-1-85973-348-6.
  2. 1 2 Anand, Dibyesh (2007). "Anxious sexualities: Masculinity, nationalism and violence". The British Journal of Politics & International Relations 9 (2): 257–269. doi:10.1111/j.1467-856x.2007.00282.x.
  3. Deshpande, Rajeev (30 September 2008). "Bajrang Dal: The militant face of the saffron family?". The Times of India. Retrieved 2008-09-30.
  4. 1 2 "Dal v state".
  5. From the website of the Bajrang Dal
  6. Declaration from the website of the Bajrang Dal
  7. "Welcome to MEDIA-WATCH.ORG". media-watch.org.
  8. Terror:VHP plans awareness jatha,Deccan Herald
  9. Bajrang Dal launches campaign,The Tribune
  10. "Three get death for Akshardham attack". Times of India. 2 June 2006. Retrieved 2008-08-04.
  11. Cow slaughter: Bajrang Dal dubs Forum’s stand anti-Hindu,Deccan Herald
  12. "Cover Story: Bajrang Dal: Loonies at Large". india-today.com.
  13. State Participation and Complicity in Communal Violence in Gujarat Humean Rights Watch – June 2002
  14. Malegaon the road to perdition,The Hindu
  15. Malegaon blasts: Is it Bajrang or Lashkar?
  16. Police cover up Nanded blast,NDTV.com.
  17. A report on bomb blast at the house of prominent RSS activist in Nanded, Maharashtra,pucl.org
  18. Security agencies pursue Bajrang Dal, Bangla links to Malegaon DNAIndia – 6 September 2006
  19. Bajrang Dal plotted ‘revenge blasts’ in Kanpur: UP police Indian Express – 28 August 2008
  20. Togadia defies ban, distributes tridents,The Hindu
  21. "Organised intolerance". hinduonnet.com.
  22. Valentines day
  23. Gupta, Suchandana (15 February 2008). "On V-Day, Bajrang Dal men force couple to get 'married'". The Times of India.
  24. "Sena, Bajrang Dal act spoilers on Valentine's Day". Rediff.com. 31 December 2004. Retrieved 2012-11-26.
  25. "Bajrang Dal protests against Valentine's Day". The Hindu (Chennai, India). 15 February 2008.
  26. Christians: The Sangh Parivar's new target The Economic Times – 20 September 2008
  27. BJP, Dal talk in two voices over Karnataka NDTV – 23 September 2008
  28. Bajrang Dal activists threaten couples celebrating Valentine's Day in Kanpur DailyIndia.com – 14 February 2011
  29. Barbara Larkin. Annual Report on International Religious Freedom 2000. p. 508. ISBN 0-7567-1229-7.
  30. Human Rights Watch World Report 2000. Human Rights Watch. p. 188. ISBN 1-56432-238-6.
  31. Paul R. Brass (1997). Theft of an Idol: Text and Context in the Representation of Collective Violence. Princeton University Press. p. 17. ISBN 0-691-02650-5.
  32. "Kandhmal riots: US lawmakers seek action - The Times of India". The Times Of India. 12 October 2009.
  33. Bajarangis – Do not become Hindu Jihadis,hindutva.org
  34. Rein in Parivar outfits, PM tells RSS,The Tribune
  35. Bajrang deaf to BJP sermon The Telegraph, Calcutta – 3 October 2008
  36. "Bajrang Dal ban: A case of political divide". rediff.com.
  37. "No ban on Bajrang Dal now: NSA". rediff.com.
  38. "Zee News: Latest News Headlines, Current Live Breaking News from India & World". zeenews.com.
  39. "Congress demands ban on Bajrang Dal". The Times of India.
  40. Muslim cleric demands ban on Bajrang Dal
  41. "Call for immediate ban on Bajrang Dal, VHP". The Hindu.
  42. "Zee News: Latest News Headlines, Current Live Breaking News from India & World". zeenews.com.
  43. Gowda, Maya demand ban on Bajrang Dal The Times of India, 22 September 2008
  44. Paswan seeks ban on Bajrang Dal, VHP The Hindu, 20 September 2008
  45. Congress seeks ban on VHP, Bajrang Dal Sify News, 20 September 2008
  46. Ban Bajrang Dal, says national minorities panel CNN-IBN, 6 October 2008
  47. "BJP flays minorities panel report on Karnataka". rediff.com.
  48. Cabinet to discuss Bajrang, VHP ban The Telegraph

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Thursday, April 28, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.