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MUMBAI, India (KP)—Bajrang Dal, a right-wing Hindutva fundamentalist group, held a three day ‘training camp’ in which over a hundred youth took part.
The camp was well advertised in the already terror-devastated city and it was well received by the people of Mumbai. Several of these camps are held all over India, but this camp was the first held at such a large scale after the terrorist attacks in Mumbai.
The focus of the camp remained “to protect India from the Islamic Jihad.” But it was clear that the Hindutva radicals were merely using the recent incidents in Mumbai as an excuse to fulfill their propaganda. The camp was organized at a large scale on a four acre open plot without taking permission from the local Government or the Police.
Along with sword and trident usage, the attendees trained in the use of modern weaponry. Special guests were invited to speak about Hindu Nationalism and various subjects related to the recent terrorist attacks in the country.
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According to the Human Rights Watch, Bajrang Dal had been involved in riots against Muslims in the 2002 Gujarat violence.
The Bajrang Dal has also been involved in bombmaking accidents on August 6, 2006 in Nanded, and on August 24, 2008 in Kanpur.
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An official of Bajrang Dal, Umesh Gaikwad, told the press after the conclusion of the camp that Bajrang Dal holds this camp every year after Diwali to recruit new youth in Mumbai. A similar camp is held for several days at a National level in which youth from all over India come to seek martial training.
According to Gaikwad, the Bajrang Dal does not believe it is necessary to receive permission to hold these camps, even though most of the camp remains reserved for training with weapons which are banned by law. He told the press that to seek permission from the Government was unnecessary as the four acre plot is owned by the Bajrang Dal.
Violent Background
The Bajrang Dal, is the youth wing of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and is based on the 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,[citation needed] of whom 850,000 are workers, and runs about 2,500 akhadas (similar to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's shakhas). "Bajrang" is in reference to the Hindu deity Hanuman.
According to the Human Rights Watch, Bajrang Dal had been involved in riots against Muslims in the 2002 Gujarat violence. The Bajrang Dal has also been involved in bombmaking accidents on August 6, 2006 in Nanded, and on August 24, 2008 in Kanpur.
In September 2008, a fresh wave of attacks directed against the Newlife Christian churches and prayer halls in Karnataka by the Bajrang Dal, as a protest against defaming hindu gods and against religious conversion carried on by the Newlife Missionaries.
Later, Mahendra Kumar, the convener of Bajrang Dal was arrested in connection with it even after he publicly announced that they are not reponsible for the attacks, after the Center had strongly criticized the state Government. In addition, the National Commission for Minorities has also blamed them for the religious violence in BJP-ruled states of Karnataka and Orissa. [25]. However, some police reports claim that the Bajrang Dal was not involved per se and that the attacks were carried out by splinter groups. However, testimonies of Bajrang Dal activists show exactly the opposite, as they described the attacks and openly warned of more violence. (source: Wikipedia)
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