By TNN
Lucknow: The upcoming Hanuman Jayanti on April 12 will see VHP mobilizing thousands of Bajrang Dal activists to organise over 200 shobha yatras across the country.
The right wing organisation also plans to use the occasion to spread the message of “Atmaraksha” (self-protection) and “Atmabal” (self-confidence) amongst Hindu community.
VHP’s stance to scale up the Hindutva narrative on Hanuman Jayanti comes amid its ongoing 15-day campaign that started with the beginning of `Navratri’ only to intensify on the occasion of Ram Navami.
Beginning March 30, widely regarded in Hindutva circles as the beginning of the Hindu New Year, the VHP has begun hosting grand Ram Mahotsav events. These celebrations will culminate on April 12, which marks the birth anniversary of Lord Hanuman, and span diverse socio-economic demographics: from tribal villages and urban slums to towering high-rises in cities.
VHP national spokesperson Vinod Bansal told TOI that the theme of ‘Atma Raksha’ and ‘Atma bal’ was the need of the hour to make the Hindu community more alert and prevent it from getting fragmented. “The Hindu community needs to remain more vigilant from certain forces which are aiming to break it,” he said.
Bansal said that the celebrations will be carried out in thousands of places and in almost all-important districts, including New Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Lucknow. Special arrangements are proposed to be made in Hindu pilgrimage centres, including Ayodhya and Prayagraj.
The VHP events, especially the Shobha Yatras (processions), are often marked with fervour and carry strong religious and political undertones.
This story was originally published in timesofindia.indiatimes.com. Read the full story here.
