Ranchi, Aug. 22: Taking Lord Ram to the tribals, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has decided to organise a congregation of children from indigenous communities where they will be given lessons in Hindu scriptures.
The four-day convention, to be held at the Birsa Stadium in Ranchi from October 27, will be organised by the Vidya Vikas Samiti, the educational arm of the RSS.
The samiti plans to draw 15,000 tribal children from around 500 communities and give them lessons in the Hanuman chalisa and the Bhagvad Gita.
The congregation, titled Akhil Bharatiya Vanvasi Janajatiya Bal Sangam, will have as its mascot Ram dressed in tribal attire.
Unveiling the Sangh parivar’s plans, programme convener Ramakant Rai said: “Tribal students, studying in Classes III to VII in 23,000 Saraswati Shishu Vidya Mandirs around the country, will participate in the programme. The purpose of the programme is to develop a sense of unity in the country. This is the first such programme in the state.”
The proposed programme has drawn howls of protest from the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, which has tribals as its main support base. The JMM feels it is a conspiracy by the Sangh parivar to “convert” the tribals, who believe in the Sarna faith.
JMM secretary and ideologue Shailendra Bhattacharya said: “The RSS wants the tribals to lose their Scheduled Tribe status and imbibe the Hindu way of life. By losing their tribal status, the indigenous people will lose the special provisions in the Constitution which guarantees them rights over their land and prohibits others to buy their land.
It’s RSS’s conspiracy to allow powerful Hindu traders and businessman to plunder tribal land.”
CPI (M-L) legislature party leader Mahendra Singh said the tribals had a distinct culture which does not match with the “Brahmanical order” of the Hindu society.
“The RSS has been conspiring since long against the tribals who are pantheist in their belief to get merged into the Brahmanical order,” Singh said.
Rai, however, scoffed at the accusation and said the “Bal Sangam 2004” programme aims at national integration. “RSS chief K.S. Sudarshan and Gayatri Parivar head Pranab Pandya, along with 1,000 Pahan-Pujaris (tribal priests), will take part. We have also invited the President, Vice-President and all the four Shankaracharyas,” he said.
The items for competition will include folk song, folk dance, traditional musical instrument playing, Hanuman Chalisa and Gita recitation.
Rai said the organisation would spend an amount of Rs 60 lakh on the programme.
“We will not take any support from the government. We have requested the people to sponsor railway fare and food cost of participants,” he added.
