Vhp: VHP to organise ‘Ramotsav,’ hope to spread social harmony | India News
LUCKNOW: Days after Samajwadi Party leader Swami Prasad Maurya stirred a row by calling some verses of Ramcharitmanas as derogatory to backward classes, Vishwa Hindu Parishad said they would organise a program to spread the message of samajik samrasta (social harmony), starting from the beginning of Chaitra Navaratra on March 22.
VHP has asked its 63,000 committees to organise ‘Ramotsav’, a religio-cultural programme, nationally with the messsage that ‘social harmony formed an integral part of Lord Ram’s life.’ The campaign will culminate on Hanuman Jayanti on April 6.
VHP national secretary general Milind Parande said, “One should not forget how Ram met with Nishad Raj and Shabri….how he spent his life with the forest dwellers during his exile.” He said VHP would also organise ‘religious discourses’ besides mobilising seers to carry out ‘shobha yatras’ (processions) on the occasion.
He said the idea of ‘Ramotsav’ is to encourage individuals and families to internalise and emulate the life values of Ram. “This will ensure safety and security of Hindus and work as a bulwark against the challenge of ‘Love Jihad’,” he said.
In UP, ‘Ramotsav’ would be organised by over 10,000 VHP organisational committees. Sources said VHP cadres in four regions — Awadh (Ayodhya), Kashi (Varanasi), Kanpur and Gorakhpur — have been asked to start grand preparations for the programme.
Analysts said the caste narrative wheeled out by the opposition has spurred BJP and its associated right wing organisations to take steps to consolidate their position among the public by cutting across caste lines.
Recently, the Yogi government had announced grants for organising Akhand Path of Ramayan at the district, tehsil and block levels during Chaitra Navaratra. After the order, both SP and BSP asked the state government to consider other religions also.
Experts point out that this was the first time in six years when the Yogi government issued such specific instructions for organising Ramayan Path. They said the move clearly indicates the CM’s wish to send out a larger political message apart from his personal devotion and religious reverence for Navaratra and Lord Ram.
Significantly, the government grant and VHP’s ‘Ramotsav’ was announced when Ayodhya was gearing up for grand Ram Navami celebrations amid the speedy construction of Ram Temple. VHP has planned nine-day celebrations from March 22 till Ram Navami on March 30.
VHP has asked its 63,000 committees to organise ‘Ramotsav’, a religio-cultural programme, nationally with the messsage that ‘social harmony formed an integral part of Lord Ram’s life.’ The campaign will culminate on Hanuman Jayanti on April 6.
VHP national secretary general Milind Parande said, “One should not forget how Ram met with Nishad Raj and Shabri….how he spent his life with the forest dwellers during his exile.” He said VHP would also organise ‘religious discourses’ besides mobilising seers to carry out ‘shobha yatras’ (processions) on the occasion.
He said the idea of ‘Ramotsav’ is to encourage individuals and families to internalise and emulate the life values of Ram. “This will ensure safety and security of Hindus and work as a bulwark against the challenge of ‘Love Jihad’,” he said.
In UP, ‘Ramotsav’ would be organised by over 10,000 VHP organisational committees. Sources said VHP cadres in four regions — Awadh (Ayodhya), Kashi (Varanasi), Kanpur and Gorakhpur — have been asked to start grand preparations for the programme.
Analysts said the caste narrative wheeled out by the opposition has spurred BJP and its associated right wing organisations to take steps to consolidate their position among the public by cutting across caste lines.
Recently, the Yogi government had announced grants for organising Akhand Path of Ramayan at the district, tehsil and block levels during Chaitra Navaratra. After the order, both SP and BSP asked the state government to consider other religions also.
Experts point out that this was the first time in six years when the Yogi government issued such specific instructions for organising Ramayan Path. They said the move clearly indicates the CM’s wish to send out a larger political message apart from his personal devotion and religious reverence for Navaratra and Lord Ram.
Significantly, the government grant and VHP’s ‘Ramotsav’ was announced when Ayodhya was gearing up for grand Ram Navami celebrations amid the speedy construction of Ram Temple. VHP has planned nine-day celebrations from March 22 till Ram Navami on March 30.
