New Delhi: To accelerate its ‘ghar wapsi’ (anti-conversion) programmes, the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) has identified 1,000 odd “sensitive” blocks across the country where it will run an “awareness” campaign against the alleged religious conversions.
“During the meeting in Ayodhya last month, it was decided to expedite the ghar wapsi (religious conversions) programme. We have identified 1,000 blocks across the country and our workers are reaching out to the people in these areas and educating them about the ills of conversion to a Semitic religion after abandoning one’s own faith,” VHP president Alok Kumar told ThePrint.
Kumar added that religious conversions in Punjab are a matter of “grave concern” and the organisation is focusing on this issue with a lot of seriousness.
The move comes ahead of the Lok Sabha election, though the VHP functionaries maintain that the drive has no links with it.
According to a senior VHP functionary, the 1,000 blocks identified by the organisation are “sensitive” in nature, and for this, they are engaging 1,000 full-time workers in each of these areas tasked with the assignment of “ghar wapsi” and “conversion”.
“Work is already being started in 300 blocks, and mostly these blocks are located in the coastal areas and the tribal belts that are more susceptible to religious conversions,” the VHP functionary told ThePrint.
“We believe that he Hindus have been converted and adopted Islam and Christianity. There is a need to acknowledge that and a ghar wapsi is the need of the hour. The VHP will help re-convert forcibly-converted Hindus to their original religion,” he added.
According to another VHP functionary, religious conversion was one of the key resolutions of the VHP’s meeting of its central board of trustees and governing council in Ayodhya held on 26 February.
During the meeting, the VHP passed two other resolutions — one focusing on the construction of the Ram Temple and the other emphasising the importance of voting in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
According to a VHP source, the organisation has asked its workers to keep their eyes and ears open, and in case they find any such case, they should bring this to its notice.
“At the same time, we have also asked them to make people aware of not falling into the trap of religious conversion,” the second functionary said.
According to VHP sources, the organisation has asked both its youth wing, Bajrang Dal, and women’s wing, Durga Vahini, to “educate” and make Hindu families “aware” of the perils of religious conversion and how “ghar wapsi” can be done.
“Some literature is also being prepared and will be distributed by the workers,” the functionary added.
(Edited by Richa Mishra)
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