And now a new alarm

By Mohammed Iqbal

BHILWARA, OCT. 1. Even before the dust raised by the recent communal incidents in towns and villages across Bhilwara district of Rajasthan settles, ``Trishul Diksha'' - trident training - programmes launched here on a massive scale by the Bajrang Dal have led to panic among the people and thrown up a new challenge to the State Government.

The distribution of tridents at public functions, despite prohibitory orders in force, has created fear in the minds of the minority community. Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) functionaries make no bones about declaring that this is the first stage of their ``renewed campaign for construction of Ram temple''.

The functions marking Trishul Diksha, in which senior office- bearers of the Bajrang Dal and the VHP took part, have been so far at Bhilwara, Jahazpur, Asind and Pander. In each of these places, desecration of religious places had led to tension between Hindus and Muslims recently.

A 16th century mosque was demolished in Asind on July 27. The district administration today lifted the prohibitory orders which were in force in the entire district for the past six weeks. Evidently, the orders - promulgated under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code - had failed to deter Sangh Parivar constituents from distributing tridents among the youth.

The tridents are sharp weapons measuring about 10 cm and affixed on handles. The youth, who get themselves enrolled with the Bajrang Dal for Trishul Diksha programmes, are given belts for carrying them. As the Chief Minister, Mr. Ashok Gehlot, has pointed out in a letter addressed to the Prime Minister, they can kill but at the same time escape the provisions of the Arms Act and other notifications due to their short length.

``These tridents are symbols of the strength and solidarity of Hindus. They are given to Bajrang Dal recruits to defend their country, religion, culture and places of worship,'' the VHP's Dharmacharya Sampark secretary, Mr. Om Prakash Bulia, told The Hindu. He, however, denied that Trishul Diksha programmes had anything to do with the tension in the entire district.

Mr. Bulia said the Trishul Diksha was, in fact, a membership drive of the Bajrang Dal undertaken to coincide with the renewed Ram temple movement. The youth recruited in the outfit will form the first batch of Kar Sevaks to be sent for temple construction. The other stages of the campaign would be ``Jalabhishek'' in the temples of Lord Shiva, recitation of ``Sri Ram Vijay Mahamantra'', and a ``warning march'' of saints from Ayodhya to New Delhi.

The Trishul Diksha programme was organised on a large scale in the Sawai Bhoj temple complex in Asind - where the 16th century mosque was demolished - on September 23. Among others, VHP's international secretary, Mr. Praveen Togadia, took part in it and challenged the State Government to rebuild the mosque. The district administration has since registered a case against 60 persons for violating prohibitory orders.

The Collector, Mr. Sudhansh Pant, speaking to this correspondent, expressed his helplessness in imposing a blanket ban on the Bajrang Dal's activities in the absence of specific instructions from the State Government. ``We cannot be over- restrictive when our action threatens to boomerang,'' he said.

Mr. Pant, however, pointed out that the Bajrang Dal itself was ``playing up'' the Trishul Diksha functions even when they were low-profile at many places.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : National
Previous : New Vice-Chief of Army Staff
Next     : Abdul Kalam copter crash: probe ordered