Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Sarsanghachalak Mohan Bhagavat, Vishwa Hindu Parishad patron Ashok Singhal, VHP working president Praveen Togadia are among the speakers at the Virat Hindu Sanmelan to be organised by the VHP as a part of its Golden Jubilee celebration at Sahid Minar in Kolkata on December 20.
In fact, given the rising saffron power in West Bengal, Kolkata has been selected by the organisation as one of the five metropolitan cities where the grand rallies will be held to mark the golden jubilee of the organisation.
The year-long celebration started on August 17 (Janmashtami) this year and will end on Janmashtami that will fall in the month of August next year. The other cities include Mumbai (December 14), Bhopal (December 21), Bangalore (February 8, 2015) and Delhi (February 22).
The VHP has plans to hold such a sanmelan at Port Blair in the Andamans in January 10, 2015, according to Sachindranath Sinha, Kshetra Sanghatan Sampadak (organisation secretary), Kolkata Kshetra, that comprises the states of West Bengal, Odissa, Sikkim and Andaman and Nikobar Islands.
In West Bengal, the VHP at present has 65,000 hitachintaks (members) who each pays an annual membership fee of Rs 20. The membership has to be renewed every year. “This year our target is 1 lakh hitachintaks and for this we have launched a vigorious membership drive,” Sinha told The Indian Express.
The drives include regular baithaks (meetings), chintan shibirs at block levels, to name a few.
The purpose to include Kolkata as one of the venues is, according to Sinha, to inclulcate the ideals of Hinduism in the general public. “People here seem to be afraid to call themselves as Hindus which is very unfortunate. There is a perception about secularism which is quite confusing. Can’t I be a Hindu who is ready to accommodate all others, practising other religions,” Sinha further said.
At the Sanmelan at Sahid Minar VHP will invite leaders of other political parties including the CPIM and the Trinamool Congress. “But whosever comes from other parties they can not deliver speeches. They will be there as guests,” according to Sinha.
As part of the golden jubilee celebration VHP is also organising blood donation camps across the country on November 2. In the same month the organisation is going to organise a World Conference in New Delhi.