Chennai: The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) plans to mark its 62nd foundation anniversary on September 4 with nationwide outreach programmes, with social harmony and grassroots mobilisation among its key areas of focus.
Addressing a gathering in Chennai on August 31, organised by VHP Uttar Tamil Nadu, VHP Organising General Secretary Milind Parande said the organisation would attach importance to its campaign against “love jihad” to protect Hindu women, along with cow protection.
The VHP was founded on Krishna Janmashtami in 1964 in Bombay by S.S. Apte, Swami Chinmayananda and M.S. Golwalkar.
Parande said the organisation planned to reach the grassroots through events across Bharat, covering nearly 10,000 prakhands (organising blocks). He said the anniversary would not remain confined to a symbolic event but would become a broad-based grassroots mobilisation exercise.
“We are planning to launch a membership drive in another two months with a target of adding over two lakh members in Tamil Nadu,” he said.
He said the organisation would also undertake a countrywide jagaran campaign to mobilise the Hindu community while spreading the message of social harmony. The campaign would continue for more than 15 days, he said.
Parande, who is on a five-day tour of Tamil Nadu, said the VHP had a presence across the world and that organisation-building would remain a major focus.
“This year we want to reach two lakh more villages. Consolidation of our base, Gau Raksha (cow protection) and Hindu Samskar will be the focus,” he said.
Focus on family values
Speaking about family values, Parande said an increasing number of people were seeking divorce over minor issues and approaching courts over matters including alimony and matrimonial disputes.
He said the weakening of closely knit family traditions, the rise in suicides, crimes against women, corruption, the erosion of basic values and caste discrimination were matters of concern.
“Hindu philosophies are under great challenge,” he said.
Concern over declining birth rate
On the declining birth rate, Parande said Tamil Nadu’s birth rate was 1.3, which he said was below the replacement fertility rate of 2.15.
“This is dangerous for society. The Hindu population has been declining gradually,” he said.
He said the prevalence of the single-child norm could deprive future generations of wider family relationships, including nieces, cousins, maternal and paternal uncles and aunts.
“If a father and mother die, the child would not have anyone to protect or take care of their future,” he said, adding that such children could lack interpersonal communication skills and the ability to adjust with others.
Parande said Hindu society had been particularly affected by the single-child norm.
Claims on Partition, conversions and population
Dwelling further on the issue of population, he said that following the Partition of India, the Hindu population was reduced considerably due to conversions.
He claimed that nearly 20 lakh Hindus were massacred and women and girls were raped during the period. He also said Hindus had become minorities in Nagaland and Mizoram and claimed that Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu was a Christian-majority district.
‘Love jihad’ claims
Parande also spoke about “love jihad”, claiming that 18 lakh women were missing and suggesting that some may have been trafficked for sexual exploitation, forced labour or other reasons.
He said that according to police data, 18 lakh women had gone missing within two-and-a-half years from 2023, including three lakh girls below the age of 18.
He linked some of these cases as “love jihad”, saying the issue required greater attention.
Referring to the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, Parande said many people had come forward to associate with it and claimed that a significant number of people were now returning to the Hindu fold through the VHP’s Ghar Vapasi programmes.
Cow protection
Cow protection was another major area highlighted by the VHP leader.
Parande estimated that around two lakh cows had been killed and said the campaign against cow slaughter would be intensified.
“We have to think about the fault lines. Anti-Hindu forces exploit these fault lines to their favour. So we should remove such fault lines within our society,” he said.
Referring to the cultural and geographical links across different parts of the country, he said people from across India visit Ayodhya, Kashi and Gaya, while also citing examples of connections between Tamil Nadu and temple in Nepal.
“If we unite and follow dharmic values, none can split us or convert us,” he said.
He said health, education, self-employment generation and soft-skill development would also be given importance in Tamil Nadu.
Social harmony at the centre
A VHP leader said placing samajik samrasta (social harmony) at the heart of the anniversary programme was intended to reinforce the idea that Hindu consolidation should be accompanied by greater social unity.
The leader said the approach would have resonance in Uttar Pradesh, where issues including religious conversion, cow protection and alleged “love jihad” have remained politically charged.
The event was presided over by Uttar Tamil Nadu VHP president Andal Chockalingam. State secretary Bala Manimaran, Sathyajit, Karthikeyan Ramalingam, Lakshmi Narayanan, Badrinarayahan, Balaji, BM Nagarajan, Bala Natarajan and other VHP functionaries were present.
