Indian civil society, uniting under RSS, will march to Bangladesh High Commission on 10 Dec

A section of India's civil society is uniting under the rightist Hindu nationalist organisation Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) against the backdrop of a unity of all quarters against false narratives against Bangladesh.

A report by Press Trust of India (PTI), carried out by major Indian media outlets, says civil society members representing more than 200 social and cultural organisations will take out a protest march to the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi this week.

Addressing a press conference in Delhi, co-in charge of the RSS Delhi's media and communications department Rajnish Jindal said the march to the Bangladesh embassy will be held under the banner of 'Civil Society of Delhi' on 10 Dec.

"The entire country [people of India] is outraged and agitated over the ongoing atrocities against Hindus and other minority community members in Bangladesh," Jindal was quoted as saying.

He claimed that representatives of more than 200 social, cultural and religious organisations in Delhi will join the protest march.

"We will submit a memorandum to the Bangladesh embassy. We will submit a memorandum to all international organisations, including UN, UNHRC, WHO, AMNESTY International and ADB, demanding that they immediately intervene to stop the ongoing atrocities and violence against Hindus in Bangladesh," Jindal said.

Ahead of the protest march, a memorandum in this regard will be submitted to all district magistrates in Delhi.

The protest march is aimed at drawing the attention of "national and international stakeholders" to the "violence and persecution of Hindus and other minority community members in Bangladesh", seeking their intervention, the organisers of the event said in a statement.

Veena Sikri joins the campaign

The PTI report says former Indian high commissioner to Bangladesh Veena Sikri will also be joining the campaign. 

Veena Sikri and former director general of India's Intelligence Bureau (IB) Rajiv Jain highlighted the "worsening" human rights situation in Bangladesh, expressing grave concern over the violence against the minority community members in the neighbouring country while addressing a press conference, reports PTI.

"This is the worst situation for the Hindus and other minority communities in Bangladesh since the Liberation War of 1971," Sikri was quoted as saying.

Rajiv Jain, also a former member of India's NHRC (National Human Rights Commission), said there is an "open violation of the rights of Hindus and members of the other minority communities in Bangladesh and the interim government of the country is unable to protect them."

Hindu outfit behind attack on Bangladesh mission is just over a week old

Meanwhile, the Indian Express reported that Hindu Sangharsh Samiti (HSS), the outfit behind the attack on Bangladesh's Assistant High Commission in Agartala, was formed just over a week ago.

It was formed with the goal of "uniting the masses" against alleged attacks on Hindus following the arrest of a Hindu priest in Bangladesh, says the report.

HSS leader Shankar Roy describes the organisation as an umbrella organisation of Hindutva groups and "like-minded social forums such as the RSS and VHP." 

"Similar outfits have been formed in every district of the country over the past week," he told The Indian Express.

Following the incident at the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission, in which alleged HSS members vandalised the property and took down the Bangladeshi flag, seven people were arrested and later released on bail.

BJP leaders, as well as members of RSS-affiliated outfits VHP and Bajrang Dal, have been part of similar protests being held against the alleged attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh across Tripura and West Bengal.

Speaking to The Indian Express, the VHP and Bajrang Dal did not deny association with the HSS but said they had no role in the attack on the Bangladesh mission.