 "Hindu mahapanchayat")
Mahapanchayats are not uncommon in Haryana. But a “Hindu mahapanchayat” is something no one had heard of until May 30, when workers of the RSS and its front organisations — the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), Bajrang Dal, and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), along with more than 20 other Hindu groups — organised the first meeting in Muslim-dominated Nuh district. The mahapanchayat was organised in support of Hindus accused of killing a Muslim.
The second Hindu mahapanchayat was held on July 4 at Pataudi’s Ramlila maidan, which has been a symbol of Hindu-Muslim unity since 1904, when the first Ramlila was organised by the sixth Nawab of Pataudi, Muzaffar Ali Khan. But this time the same venue was used to raise slogans against Saif Ali Khan, Sharmila Tagore, and other members of the Pataudi family.
Organising protests
Work starts with right-wing organisations meeting local sarpanches and ward members. A team of 10 men and two women, along with a core committee of five people in every village, is being created to keep track of conversions, inter-faith marriages, and “love jihad”. These teams are led by an umbrella group of 50 people from the RSS and its front organisations.
“We have such teams in more than 20 villages in Gurugram district. We will create these teams in every village in Haryana,” said Narender Pahari, an RSS worker and one of the organisers of the Pataudi mahapanchayat.
Ajit Singh, Gurugram district president of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and head of the Sarpanch Ekta Manch, said: “All right-wing organisations meet sarpanches and other social leaders for their support in their fight against rising cases of ‘love jihad’ and Muslim aggression.”
Ajit, while claiming that sarpanches are in support of such panchayats, said: “More than 50 per cent of the sarpanches had attended the Pataudi panchayat on the call of the Hindu Dharm Raksha Manch.”
Though senior-level politicians — MLAs and MPs — did not participate in any of the mahapanchayats, local BJP leaders say they are managing these panchayats indirectly. The BJP MLA from Pataudi, Satya Prakash Jaravata, however, denied this: “Had it been a BJP panchayat I would have attended it. Those who were there attended it in their personal capacity and not as workers of the BJP, RSS, and VHP.”
However, Sudhir Chaudhary, former Congress MLA candidate from Pataudi, does not agree with Jaravata. He said: “The BJP is sponsoring these panchayats. No one can do such a mahapanchayat without the government’s support. They are using this strategy since they lost the people’s confidence in the 2019 Assembly elections.”
Pahari said these mahapanchayats were being done at the requests of victims of “love jihad”. “As a swayamsevak, social work is my duty.”
Gaurav Yadav, a resident of Baspadamka village, who had attended the mahapanchayat, said: “People are going to these panchayats because they are being attacked by Muslims and their daughters are being harassed.” According to Pahari, Baspadamka has more than five cases of “love jihad”.
Ramzan Chaudhary, president, All India Mewati Samaz, termed these mahapanchayats the BJP’s strategy to divide Hindu and Muslims. “I can give a list of 10-15 Muslim girls who have married Hindus. The BJP is doing politics on this matter,” said Ramzan.
Pamphlets mentioning 24 cases of “love jihad” were distributed at the meeting and right-wing speakers asking for Hindu unity against Muslim aggression are attracting youngsters, who account for the highest number of members in such panchayats.
The use of social media has taken centre stage in spreading the message of Hindu mahapanchayats but small meetings still have a great role to play here.
According to Pahari, his team meets only the local sarpanches and leaders of other Hindu organisations; the message of the panchayat is being circulated through social media. “We have not sent any invitation for the Pataudi mahapanchayat; everybody came after reading the message shared on social media, or after hearing about it from some villager,” said Pahari.
What is 'Love Jihad'?
“Love jihad” is an unofficial term used by the political and religious right for referring to an alleged campaign by Muslim men to convert Hindu girls under the pretext of love. Ironically, in February 2020, the Central government told Parliament that there was no definition of the term and no such cases were reported by agencies.
Nevertheless, Haryana became the 4th state to propose the ‘Freedom of Religion Bill’ -- after Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh passed such laws to prohibit unlawful religious conversion. However, the Bill hit a legal hurdle after the state government’s law and legislative secretary raised serious objections to the proposed legislation.
Ravinder Singh Dhull, former additional advocate general, Haryana, calling this Bill a case of political overreach, said, “The state has no role to play in the personal choice of individuals in matters of marriage and religion.” According to an RTI, there were only four registered cases of the nature of “love jihad” in the state over the last three years, said Dhull.
Who are the speakers?
According to Pahari, anyone can speak at the panchayat but the majority of the speakers are members of the ruling party or other right-wing outfits. The two main speakers of the Pataudi mahapanchayat who caught the limelight are Rambhakt Gopal, the student who shot at the students of Jamia Millia Islamia who were protesting the Citizenship Amendment Act, and Suraj Pal Amu, chief of the Karni Sena and BJP spokesperson.
The Bajrang Dal’s 10,000 members are meeting youngsters in every village in the district, asking them to join their cause. “We will meet every youth in Haryana and fight these extremists (Muslims),” said Monu Manesar, a 27-year-old Bajrang Dal member.
Pahari said: “The Pataudi panchayat is against the cases of ‘love jihad’ and it was a success. The next mahapanchayat will be held in Rewari district. We will organise these mahapanchayats in every district of Haryana.”
Who gains?
Political observers say casting the Muslim man as the potential enemy furthers not only an ideological agenda but also a political one.
Psephologist Yogendra Yadav, calling Hindu mahapanchayats the BJP’s strategy of divide and rule — Hindu vs Muslim in Mewat (South Haryana) and Jats vs non-Jats in other parts of Haryana — said: “Rewari does not even have a Muslim population. This is the BJP’s attempt to create divisions out of the fear of the consolidation of farmers’ movement.”
Twitter @nitinaayog
Twitter @nitinaayog
