The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has come forward to utilise the biggest religious congregation of Hindus, Maha Kumbh 2025, to consolidate its position further and make deep inroads into the masses at a time when it is completing one hundred years of its existence.
Besides, it has planned to reach out to the OBC and Dalit communities.
The RSS has also used the Maha Kumbh 2025 to make its presence felt more clearly as its “swayamsevaks” or volunteers have fanned across the bank of the Ganges in Prayagraj with many programmnes, including the removal of plastic bags.
Gyan Maha Kumbh
The RSS has started a massive programme Gyan Maha Kumbh, that will discuss various aspects of Hinduism. The programme that is being held on the banks of the Ganges in Prayagraj, will focus on “Sanatan Shiksha”, Hinduism and the alleged “distortion of history”.
The Maha Manthan that started on January 10 will conclude on February 10 and a resolution will be passed and handed over to the union government.
The RSS programme being held at sector 8 of the Maha Kumbh area has been attended by educationists, teachers, students, academicians and members of the organisation.
RSS’ OBC Outreach
In an attempt to reach out to the deprived and underprivileged segments of Hindu society, the saffron organisation will take 8,000 students from the OBC communities to Maha Kumbh.
Vidya Bharti, the education wing of the RSS has declared that it would take the students of Sanksar Kendras to the Kumbh Mela to instill values and traditions of Hinduism so that they are never lured to religious conversions.
It began with 2,100 students of 14 districts in the Awadh region of Uttar Pradesh on Thursday. Their parents too were taken along with them.
The students from the Goraksh (Gorakhpur) region will be taken for a holy dip from January 24 to 26, followed by students from Kashi and Kanpur regions.
All students will be taken to various ashrams and akharas of saints and the Sangam Ghat. The RSS has set up a camp in Sector 9 of the Mela area for stay of the students.
‘Ganga Seva Doot’
The RSS has also deployed 1,800 volunteers as ‘Ganga Seva Doot’, who will monitor toilets, tents, cities and roads and stop people using plastic.
The RSS volunteers will also take plastic bags from shopkeepers and hand over bags made of cloth to them. They will also take plastic plates from pilgrims and give them te plates made of paper.
If media reports are to be believed, RSS has planned to distribute 21 lakh such bags and plates under this scheme.
BJP Targets OBC Communities
In a separate OBC outreach programme, the BJP has made plans to connect to the OBC communities in a better war. In the state of Uttar Pradesh, the party will focus on “nishads”, the community of fishermen, and those who make their living by using boats.
The saffron party has chosen the “nishads” also because Apna Dal (Sone Lal) has expressed its displeasure with the Yogi Adityanath government.
In an attempt to woo the community, the Chief Minister called Maha Kumbh 2025 the “festival of social harmony”. His government has issued certain posters depicting the community.
Do BJP Eye Nishad Votes?
Yogi Adityanath also said that his government had accorded respect to Nishad Raj by installing his statue along with Lord Ram in Sringverpur.
The BJP won only 33 seats in the Lok Sabha Elections 2024, while it had got 61 seats in parliamentary elections in 2019. The party ideologues believe the party performed miserably because its rival Samajwadi Party won back the OBC community this time.
The BJP wants to make a comeback and win back the people of the underprivileged castes.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Prayagraj “the land of Nishad Raj” and said that the Maha Kumbh is the “Maha Yagna of Unity”.
Reacting to RSS’ attempt to make inroads, Congress spokesperson Swadesh Sharma said that Maha Kumbh is the symbol of Sanatan, but it should not be exploited by parties for political gain.
