Author: Shastry V Mallady
Publication: News Today
Date: February 7, 2003
URL: http://newstodaynet.com/07feb/ld1.htm
The heat is on in the Rock Fort
city. Not the initial February summer heat, but the heat of the Hindu youth
who have gathered here in thousands for the first-ever Hindu youth conference
beginning in the early hours tomorrow with a Ganapathi Homam.
Fresh from the Hindutva victory
in Gujarat Assembly elections, the Viswa Hindu Parishad ( VHP) leaders
who are converging here at 'Kurukshetra', the venue of the two-day conference,
may deem it the right platform to mould the Hindu youth in Tamilnadu.
The Hindutva rhetoric would
get all the more prominence as the VHP's most vocal leader Praveen
bhai Togadia along with senior colleague Ashok Singhal is reaching here
from Chennai tomorrow morning.
R R Gopaljee, the Tamilnadu VHP
youth wing chief and president of the conference, told News Today this
afternoon that top security of Z-category had been provided at the venue
for the visiting VHP leaders and other invitees.
The Sankaracharyas of Kanchi Kamakoti
Peetam, Sri Jayendra Saraswati and Sri Vijayendra Saraswati, are also addressing
the Hindu youth.
The Trichy meet is expected to send
out a strong message to the anti-Hindu forces in Tamilnadu that VHP will
go all-out on its Hindutva agenda .
Unlike in Maharashtra where he was
barred from addressing meetings by that State government, Togadia is likely
to speak-out in strong words from the Trichy podium as the Jayalalithaa
government in Tamilnadu has been extending support to the majority Hindus
on several issues. The anti-conversion law, support of Jayalalithaa and
a crowd of one lakh Hindu youth are expected to make Togadia to set the
trend in the State.
Gopaljee said the message of 'Kurukshetra'
would be service, self-confidence and culture of India which the VHP youth
wing will make the Hindu youth understand. Togadia and Singhal will be
in Trichy till Sunday afternoon, addressing various sessions on issues
concerning the Hindu youth.
About a lakh youth between the age
18 and 35 years have started reaching here from all the districts in the
State.
According to Gopaljee, the Trichy
conference will, in a way, be the trend-setter for the youth as it will
deliberate with rational and practical thinking on crucial issues like
migration to towns and cities in search of jobs, rural unemployment, education
system and frustration among the youth.
Besides, the Trichy meet will also
stress on Hindu unity for the cause of national integration. Only if Hindus
are united and caste divisions are rooted out, can we achieve national
unity, said Gopaljee, adding that the conference would appeal to the youth
to shed caste differences and 'work for the larger glory of Hinduism'.
He said a plan of action would be
presented to the Hindu youth and focus on ending internal divisions among
the Hindus.
A large number of police personnel
have been deployed near the Sathram bus-stand here where the 'Kurukshetra'
will be held.
The VHP youth wing is hosting a
dinner to Togadia tomorrow. Gopaljee said he was happy that the government
had extended support in hosting the massive conference which is one of
the largest-ever congregation of Hindu youth.
Aimed at 'rejuvenating the Hindu
youth and guiding them in the right direction', Trichy's Kurukshetra is
also likely to touch upon national issues like the Ram temple at Ayodhya
for which the VHP has set 21 February as deadline to the Vajpayee government.
The 'dharam sansad', which is the highest-decision making body of the Viswa
Hindu Parishad, is taking place in the national capital on 22 February
.
Senior leaders of the parishad ,Vedantam
and R S Narayanaswamy,
BJP 's Tamilnadu unit general secretary
and MLA, H Raja, and others are also here to attend the youth wing conference.
Togadia is expected to raise Trichy's
temperature with his hard-hitting speech, much to the delight of Hindutva
forces and to the agony of the anti-Hindu elements.
