To “further enrich” the support base of BJP, its political outfit, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has put on job another of its offshoots —- the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) —- to bring all the Hindus, especially the Dalits and those from Other Backward Caste (OBC) sand Most Backward Castes (MBC), under one umbrella ahead of the 2017 Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh.
The VHP has now decided to hold programmes for these castes under a common banner called “VHP Hindu Umbrella”. It has also coined a new slogan for the cause: “Hindu hum sab ek hain, koi nai hai dalit achhoot, sab hain bharat mata ke sapoot (All Hindus are united. There’s no Dalit or untouchable. They are all Indians)”.
The VHP leaders say that the idea of “Hindu Umbrella” was conceptualised at the time of the outfit’s formation in 1964.
Different wings of RSS, such as ABVP and Dharm Jagran Manch, are already working in Uttar Pradesh to create an atmosphere in favour of BJP ahead of the Assembly polls. VHP sources said the “Hindu Umbrella” will attract voters of different castes.
To popularise the “Hindu Umbrella”, the VHP workers in their events in UP have started raising the slogan —“Samasya anek-samadhan ek, kasht anek-nidaan ek, prashn anek-uttar ek— VHP Hindu Umbrella (Answer to all your questions, pain and problem is VHP Hindu Umbrella) “.
VHP’s Kashi region organisation secretary Manoj Srivastava said “Hindu umbrella” was aimed at bringing different castes of Hindu religion under one banner where all their problems could be redressed at one forum. His unit has already started holding events under the banner.
Another senior leader said that VHP was founded in 1964 to make different Hindu outfits to work on their own agendas but in coordination with each other. “That concept is being revived now once again to connect and unite different castes and communities as Hindus,” he said.
Srivastava said that VHP was running different programmes for welfare of Hindus and protection of their rights. “But, different people recognise VHP with its different programmes like Ghar Wapsi (re-conversion), Ram Janmabhoomi movement, Hindu Helpline and India Health Line. The Hindu Umbrella will popularise all these programmes and create awareness among masses about the works that VHP is doing for helping Hindus,” Srivastava added.