Anti-conversion Kumbh starts today in Dangs

Amid haphazard, last-minute preparations at the picturesque Shabri Kumbh site and with a seeming lack of adequate arrangement for an expecte...

Amid haphazard, last-minute preparations at the picturesque Shabri Kumbh site and with a seeming lack of adequate arrangement for an expected crowd of five lakh, the Kumbh is all about mobilising tribals against what the organisers say is an aggressive missionary campaign to convert them to Christianity.

Though organisers—the RRS-backed Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram—say the programme will discuss only Hindu jagran, a board at the entrance makes the essence clearer than crystal: “One Hindu convert means the addition of one more enemy to the nation”.

Sureshrao Kulkarni, joint-secretary of the organising committee, says: “The Kumbh (beginning on Saturday) is about instilling a sense of identity, self-reliance and self-confidence in the tribals. Nothing more.” But the massive mobilisation and campaign belie that claim. Or, as an organiser says, “We want it known forever that tribals are Hindus.”

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No disturbance is, however, expected, given the massive police bandobast — battalions have been requisitioned from as far as Delhi and Tamil Nadu.

The three-day event will see RSS chief K S Sudarshan, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, VHP chief Ashok Singhal, and sants like Murari Bapu and Asaram Bapu address pilgrims. Modi has been invited as chief guest for the Saturday inaugural.

Back at the site, water seems inadequate for the five lakh devotees expected here. The organisers have installed boards everywhere, pleading for the judicious use of water. The State Government has chipped in by providing a hundred 10,000-litre water tanks to maintain drinking water supply.

Though the organisers claim all safety precautions have been taken, strong winds on Thursday uprooted a section of the tents for guests, and shops with LPG stoves next to the tents can prove dangerous under windy conditions. The kilometre-long single-track approach road itself can prove a security nightmare if the expected crowd turns out.

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By the time the last devotee has returned home, the pressure on resources in and around this sleepy town of 1.85 lakh may leave it beyond repair.

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