Starting Sunday, VHP chief Praveen Togadia will embark on a nationwide yatra to persuade upper caste Hindus to make friends with at least one Dalit family, among other things, and work towards eradicating untouchability from the country.
Under the ‘Hindu Parivaar Mitra’ campaign, Dr. Togadia said on Saturday, that he will ask upper caste Hindu families to “eat in their [Dalits’] kitchen, invite them to your kitchen...stand with them in their moment of joy and grief...go out to travel with them...this is the message we wish to convey.”
The VHP plans to showcase this caste bonhomie on social media using pictures taken by the families during such get-togethers.
The move is being perceived as the Sangh Parivar’s attempt at checking the increasing number of religious conversions by lower caste Hindus. This is the second instance where the Parivar is seen acknowledging factors within Hinduism as probable triggers for conversions.
Recently, Prabhu Narayan Shrivastava, the RSS’s Avadh prant Sanghchalak, admitted that untouchability and caste discrimination were responsible for Hindus converting to other religions.
However, Dr. Togadia denied religious conversions had motivated such a move. “We would have done it even if no conversions were happening,” he told The Hindu .
During his yatra, Dr. Togadia plans to reach out to 56,000 caste and sub-caste associations and have them pass resolutions against untouchability.
