People at the annual 'Bhagat Sammelan' in Piparod village in south Gujarat
On Christmas day, the Dharma Jagran Manch, an affiliate of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh mobilised hundreds of tribals for the annual 'Bhagat Sammelan' in the tribal-dominated Piparod village in south Gujarat.
A hillock in the area, known as 'Dev Dungar', is revered by tribals in consonance with the elements of nature. Today, priests were seen reminding the tribals of the deities synonymous with it.
As the state police remained on tenterhooks with reports of plans to conduct alleged large-scale religious conversions on Christmas, the right-wing organisations displayed a low-key approach.
Barely 20 km away, around 100 tribal Christians were converted at Arnai village a week ago. But following a political storm, the organisers appeared cautious.
The Dharma Jagran Manch observed the 'Bhagat sammelan', but there were no conversions. The focus, instead, was on reminding tribals of their Hindu roots.
"When there are delayed rains, the worship of Pani Pandey ki Dev on this hill becomes necessary. Tribals from across the region come here to make offerings'' said Ramji Bhagat, a priest who addressed the gathering.
Interestingly, unlike the event in Amai village, heavy police deployment was ordered at Piprod village. The organisers denied there were any plans to hold mass conversion ceremonies.
But during their address, speakers criticised Christian missionary groups for carrying out forced conversions.
"This was not supposed to be a 'ghar wapsi' event. We were just promoting the culture and tradition of the adivasis in the region,'' said Mahipal Thakur, a senior official of the Hindu Dharam Jagaran.