The Vanavasi Kalyan Ashram (VKA), North Bengal, a social welfare organisation that leans towards and is inspired by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), is taking up several welfare programmes, including mass-marriage of tribal couples.

Such programmes, although regarded as welfare activities, are, however, also believed to have an impact on the people that may help the BJP indirectly in the long run.

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Office bearers of the VKA seem busy these days as they plan to organise a mass-marriage ceremony for 101 couples from some districts of north Bengal.

A visit to their headquarters at Church Road in Siliguri, a senior VKA functionary, Asish Das, who is in his early 50s, was seen monitoring the preparations for the annual event to be held on 19 May this year.

According to Mr Das, as the organization began its journey in north Bengal 35 years ago in 1984, hundreds of project were taken up for the uplift of communities that are socio-economically backward.

“Eight VKA branches are functional in north Bengal districts. Till February this year, the organisation implemented 366 projects at 316 places that included educational programmes, healthcare, various schemes to make people economically self-dependent, sports activities, and cultural awareness,” Mr Das said.

“It also runs five hostels, especially for students of classes V-X in north Bengal. The hostels are located at Kharibari, Kalimpong, Gayerkata, and Salbari. There is a women’s hostel in Raiganj in North Dinajpur. Each hostel accommodates around 30-35 students,” he added.

However, the VKA is now solely concentrating on successfully conducting the mass-marriage, which they interestingly believe, would also help generate awareness against religious conversion.

Explaining why they fight against conversion, Mr Das, who is the organizing secretary of the VKA’s north Bengal wing, said, “Creating awareness against religious conversion is a continuous process. Many people are lured with money and the help given to them during their times of distress. Such attempts are made to convert them. We are against such unethical practice.”

“For the past 15 years, we are organising the mass-marriage ceremony for the social recognition of those people who are economically poor. We are now busy preparing for the event,” he said.

He also pointed out that mass-marriage programmes are generally taken up in those areas where the tribal population is considerably higher. He further said that the VKA attempts to rejuvenate traditional Indian values and culture among the tribal residents so that they know their roots and promote their indigenous culture and tradition.

Stating that the people belonging to the tribal communities are being trained by VKA for their economic development through sewing, handlooms and handicrafts etc.

Mr Das said, “The idea is to create a sense of oneness in the community.” The VKA, North Bengal, will hold its 11th mass marriage ceremony at Salbari on the outskirts of Siliguri. Although VKA officials distinctly distance the platform from politics of any sort, the BJP unofficially lauds such activities, especially the mass-marriage programmes that seek to curb religious conversion.

“We are not politically involved with the VKA, as the organization prefers to work independently. But we believe that they work in the same tune as the RSS for the betterment of the downtrodden people. Hence, we have strong moral support for activities taken up by the VKA,” a senior BJP leader said on condition of anonymity.

He also speculated that such ‘anti-religious-conversion programmes’ would prove to be beneficial for the BJP in the long run as, “a majority of the Hindus have accepted the BJP as their own party.” Mr Das, however, made it clear that no attempt was made by them to bring tribal people belonging to other religions to the Hindu faith.