RSS To Take 8,000 Dalit Students To Maha Kumbh Mela To Prevent Religious Conversions

arun Posted On January 16, 2025

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The primary aim of the program, according to Ramji Singh, an instructor at Seva Bharti schools in the Awadh region, is to save these children from falling into the trap of religious conversions.

By: Vanshika Tyagi

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) will take nearly 8,000 students from deprived backgrounds, mainly from the Scheduled Caste (SC) communities, on a journey to Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, to experience the Maha Kumbh Mela from Thursday, as reported by Indian Express.

The initiative is by Vidya Bharti, the education wing of the RSS, which aims to familiarize these children with India’s rich cultural and spiritual heritage. It is also intended to help shield them from potential religious conversion efforts.

The children, primarily above 10 years of age, will be taken along by their parents. They will visit key places within the Kumbh area, including ashrams, akharas, and Sangam Ghat, where three rivers—the Ganges, Yamuna, and Saraswati—merge into one.

Altogether, the students will comprise about 2,100 children who hail from 14 districts in Uttar Pradesh’s Awadh region. They will stay in the Mela area from 16th January to 18th as part of a well-structured educational program aimed at making them aware of the spiritual significance of Kumbh Mela and traditional practices that go with it.

Aim of the Educational Program

The primary aim of the program, according to Ramji Singh, an instructor at Seva Bharti schools in the Awadh region, is to save these children from falling into the trap of religious conversions. Singh, who oversees the program, said that many of these children belong to vulnerable communities, and some may be targeted by Christian missionaries who claim that these children are not truly Hindus.

The RSS wants to bring these students to Kumbh Mela so that they can be further strengthened in their Hindu identity by making them aware of the cultural and spiritual significance of the festival. Singh said, “The purpose of taking the students for ‘Kumbh darshan’ is to make them aware of India’s rich traditions and culture as well as the spiritual aspect of the Maha Kumbh.

Vidya Bharti runs Sanskar Kendras, which provide a unique form of education to children from poor backgrounds who cannot afford regular schooling. These centers focus on more than just academic subjects, including cultural education and religious practices. Students are taught nationalistic songs, prayers, and the importance of traditional customs, such as greeting elders and worshiping deities. The emphasis is also on instilling pride in their cultural identity through chants like ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ and fostering a sense of patriotism.

Singh further added that this type of education helps create a positive environment within their communities. The program, while serving an educational purpose, also aims to strengthen the bond between these children and their cultural roots.

Plans To Extend This Initiative

The program has already gained significant ground in the Awadh region, and RSS is planning to extend it to other parts of Uttar Pradesh. After the first batch of 2,100 children, who are visiting from January 16 to 18, a similar group from the Gorakhpur region will visit the Kumbh Mela from January 24 to 26. The RSS is also in talks to enable similar visits by students from the Kashi and Kanpur regions, and there are talks on about expanding the program to Western Uttar Pradesh.

They will have a debriefing session after the visit wherein they would be asked about their experiences, and in the reflection of the event, they will be reminded of the significance of Kumbh Mela in the aspects of culture and spirituality that is meant to cement the learning further.