The Hindu holiday of Navratri and Durga Puja is currently underway. Garba is held in several parts of the country during this time.
However, in recent years, situations have emerged in which members of other communities have entered these programmes and engaged in love jihad and molestation of Hindu girls.
As a result, non-Hindus would not be permitted to enter Garba pandals in Ratlam, Madhya Pradesh during Navratri this year. This is according to Chandan Sharma, the District Minister of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad.
In fact, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad has banners stating that “non-Hindu admission is barred” in the Durga pandals of Ratlam district. Non-Hindu people do not integrate Hindu rituals in their religious beliefs, hence they do not have the right to attend Garba pandals, according to activists from the VHP’s Dharma Prasar wing.
“As you all know, paganism is a crime in a certain religion,” VHP Dharma Prasar District Minister Chandan Sharma stated. Why do they come to Garba if paganism is a sin in their religion? Hindu temples have been demolished throughout history. Why not send his sisters and daughters to these if he truly loves Garba and idol worship?
Put up posters
The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) has put up posters in Ratlam, Madhya Pradesh, prohibiting “non-Hindus” from entering Durga Puja pandals. The group claims that preventing persons from other communities from entering will prevent women from being harassed.
“We made these posters because some members of other communities harass Hindu women or film them without their permission. We’ve requested the administration to inspect the identity cards to avoid any confusion or mismanagement “The local chairman of the VHP’s Dharm Prasar wing, Chandan Sharma, told Hindustan Times.
The posters were shown with the permission of the organising committees. One of the committees’ presidents informed the newspaper that they were allowing the poster to be displayed in order to avoid ‘any confusion.’
The VHP leader went on to say that such signs had been placed all across Ratlam, where Garba is being held. In addition, these posters will be displayed in rural areas.
When asked how non-Hindus would be recognised, he stated that, similar to how Hindu instructors in Kashmir were assassinated after seeing IDs, we would identify non-Hindus by checking IDs and informing the authorities.
There’s no doubt that such people hide their identities, but we’ll do everything we can to stop them. According to the VHP chief, such acts have escalated incidents of love jihad.
We have been ordered to inform the VHP
The organiser stated when asked what action would be done if a non-Hindu entered the Durga Puja pandal or Garba area. Rajesh Tiwari, the in-charge of the VHP Madhya Kshetra, went on to say that the organisation plans to adopt the idea across the state next year.
“Religious programmes are used by people from mostly one community to deceive Hindu women.
They give women false names in order to impress them, then pressure them to convert their religion in order to marry. “Right now, we’re going to save our women from these con artists,” he stated.
According to the report, Kumar Purshottam, the Ratlam district collector, refused to comment on the matter, claiming that it was between the VHP and the organisers.
