By AYESHA MINHAZ

Every Hindu house mounted a saffron flag and welcomed Ram, said a young BJP leader from Amalapuram in Andhra Pradesh, speaking about the pran pratishtha celebrations in his town on January 22. A Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh member since childhood, he believes that the Ram temple issue gives the Sangh, its affiliate organisations, and the BJP in Andhra Pradesh a much-needed morale boost.

Andhra Pradesh has had a substantial network of Sangh-affiliated organisations for several decades, yet their attempts at saffronisation have proceeded at a strained pace. Amalapuram town in B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema district is one of the few districts where Hindutva has gained ground, according to activists and observers that Frontline spoke to. In 2022, the government announced that the newly reorganised Konaseema district would be named after B.R. Ambedkar. The decision was met with arson and violent protests in Amalapuram. Some activists claimed that the opposition to the renaming was not just because of deep-seated casteism but also because of the involvement of Hindutva groups.

There is an increasing proliferation of Hindutva among the OBCs of this region, according to Y. Rajesh, general secretary, Human Rights Forum (HRF), Andhra Pradesh. “The entry is through religious means.” He explained, “If you are associated with a Sangh Parivar affiliate, they ensure special darshan for you in some temples. Then there are free health camps, social services, and so on. One can witness changes such as the pronounced assertions about Ram Mandir, besides anti-Christian and anti-Dalit sentiments in the erstwhile West and East Godavari districts region.”

This story was originally published in frontline.thehindu.com. Read the full story here.