HDM declares "war"

Talking to Express Newsline, Surat district BJP president Pravin Tailor said that literature for the Tokarwa Viraat Hindu Sammelan had been printed in the tribal dialect and was bound to bring in thousands of people.

The Dolarwa meeting, too, would attract at least 25,000 tribals, Tailor said the rally would begin in the afternoon and continue until late in the evening. The third rally will be held at Umarkhadi in Mangrol, very close to Zankhvav, which was in the centre of controversy not long ago.

“The rallies have been organised to counter the growing Christian presence in the tribal belt”, he said, adding that the organisation leaders had already met twice to chalk out plans.

Alleging that missionary activity had recorded a “sudden upswing” for the past 10 to 15 years, Tailor said Hindu organisations had taken a serious view of the matter.

Asked if the HDM rallies wouldn’t fuel tension in the area, the BJP president said, “Although the meetings will be charged, I don’t foresee violence unless the people are provoked.”

District Superintendent of Police B D Vaghela, when contacted, said that though he had not received any official intimation of the rallies, he had heard about them. “The police will ensure maximum security is posted at these meetings and no violent incident is reported anywhere”, he said, adding that SRP personnel would also be stationed there.