The Other Jihadis

A ‘spiritual’ fair where the state bussed in school children celebrates communal caricatures and hate speech

- Rohit Parihar

Ostensibly organised to “showcase themes that flow from Hindu spiritual genius, ancient literature and lifestyle”, a five ­day fair in Jaipur by the Hindu Spiritual & Service Foundation (HSSF), a Chennai ­based organisation linked to the RSS and whose patrons include well­known economist S. Gurumurthy, ended on November 20 with many red faces in the Vasundhara Raje government here.

Pamphlets distributed at the event, to which government school children were bussed in—reportedly on the instructions of minister of state for primary education Vasudev Devnani—included bizarre prescriptions on, among others, how Hindu girls can tackle ‘love jihad’.