BAJRANG DAL

1. Context 

2. Key Points

• The Bajrang Dal usually makes news for protests that are often violent and organised over various causes.
• In the almost 40 years of its existence, it has been accused numerous times of harassing Christians and Muslims over issues of "illegal conversion" and "love jihad".
• The organisation, which has as its motto "Services, Security and Sanskar".

3. Formation of Bajrang Dal

• The Bajrang Dal is the right-wing organisation's youth wing, the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP).
• It was formed in 1984 to infuse young blood and muscle into the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, for building a Ram Temple at the site of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya.
• The Bajrang Dal was born on October 8, 1984, when some Hindu saints were embarking on a Ram-Janaki Rath Yatra from Ayodhya.
• The then Uttar Pradesh government refused to provide security to the procession, and the VHP asked some youth to take up the job.
• Hundreds of Youth gathered in Ayodhya. They performed their duty very well.
• Thus Bajarang Dal was formed with a temporary and localised objective of awakening the youth of U.P. and getting their involvement in the Ram Janma Bhumi Movement.
• In a meeting held in Lucknow the same month, Vinay Katiyar, who had been Varanasi Mahanagr pracharak suggested to VHP head Ashok Singhal that VHP should have its youth organisation.
• Thus Bajrang Dal was formally created. Its name was chosen to highlight its association with the Ram Temple movement (Bajrangabali is one of the names of Lord Hanuman) and its slogan was "Ram kaaj keenhe bina, mohe kahan vishram (How can I rest without fulfilling the cause of lord Ram)".
• Up until December 1992, the Bajrang Dal played a prominent role in mobilising support for the Ram Temple cause and in the eventual demolition of the Babri Masjid.
• However, in the years immediately afterwards, as the Ayodhya issue went to court and the BJP started expanding its political footprint, organisations like the VHP and the Bajrang Dal faded out of the limelight and many of its members hold a grudge against the BJP for using and then letting them fall by the wayside.

4. Structure and control of Bajrang Dal

• The Bajrang Dal did not have a uniform until 1993 and they recognised each other by one sign only: the saffron-coloured headband bearing the word "RAM" that they wore.
• After the ban on it was lifted in 1993, the Sangh Parivar decided the Bajrang Dal needed more structure and control.
• The Bajrang Dal was provided with a uniform (blue shorts, white shirt and saffron scarf) and a handbook aimed mainly at those in charge of training.
• This handbook emphasised the importance of discipline. "Whether it is an individual or a nation, the entire society or an organisation, only one who knows discipline can achieve success, awareness and excellence. Without discipline, there can be no success.
• Over the years, discipline has not been an attribute the Bajrang Dal has most made news for, hitting the headlines for harassing couples on Valentine's Day, storming pubs, staging violent protests against artists they believe are offending Hindu sentiments and more gravely for allegations of involvement in murders like that of Australian missionary Graham Staines and his sons in Odisha in January 1999 and of 19-year-old Massod near Sullia, Karnataka, in July last year.

5. Functions of Bajrang Dal

• The Bajrang Dal says its functions involve "constructive activities" like managing and developing places of worship, collecting grass for cowsheds, maintaining order in religious congregations, and immediate relief activities during natural calamities, etc and also "agitational activities".
• A part from the Andolans decided upon by the Centre, this category includes the conduction of agitation on any of the following issues/matters (which are only suggestive) and preparing plans for associating the public opinion generated through these agitations and for the expansion of the organisation.
• Apart from these agitations, some of the additional issues can be like this:

1. Renovation of Religious Places
2. Cow Protection
3. Social Evils like Dowry Untouchability etc
4. Protests against insults hurled at Hindu Maan-Bindus, Hindu Traditions, Hindu Conventions, beliefs, etc
5. Protests against vulgarity and obscenity displayed on television advertisements and Beauty Contests
6. Opposition to the illegal infiltration