RSS yatras sway Bhubaneswar

Even before Bharatiya Janata Party president Rajnath Singh's 'Bharat Suraksha Yatra' has completed its lap in Orissa, the focus has shifted to eight other Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh sponsored rath yatras moving towards Chakapad in Kandhamal district, around 170 km from Bhubaneswar on Saturday.

The eight chariots dedicated to eight goddesses, carrying 'sacred water and soil' from most of the villages of the state are slated to reach Chakapada where the Sangh Parivar has planned a huge congregation, similar to the Sabri Kumbh organised in Gujarat's Dang district in March.

The occasion is the state level inauguration programme of the yearlong centenary birth celebration of the second RSS chief Madhav Sadasiv Golwalkar. While RSS chief K Sudarshan is reaching Chakapad on Saturday, Vishwa Hindu Parishad international president Ashok Singhal reached Bhubaneswar on Friday to attend the congregation. Besides, Vanavasi Kalyan Ashram president Jagdev Oram and scores of Sangh leaders will take part in the three-day programme starting from April 8 to 10.

The congregation is being viewed as one of the biggest ground prepared by Sangh Parivar for its reconversion drive targetting Christians.

"We are planning to organise seven yajnas and a meeting to be attended by 30,000 tribals from all over the state," RSS's prant pracharak Simanchal Khatua said.

"Tribals are being oppressed by anti-national forces. These forces are also taking tribals away from the mainstream by luring them. The meeting would discuss different aspects of this problem," he said.