Blast hit, village still sings saffron songs

In this second part of the series, Aditya Kaul reports how the wily Bajrang Dal holds sway over not only villages but also the police

In Nankari village, Kanpur, the mention of Rajeev Mishra, who was killed on August 24 in a blast, doesn’t invite derision or ridicule. Rather, it evokes memories of a helpful neighbour.

A youngster chatting outside a shop jumps up: “He was my friend. Everybody in the colony knew him”. “He was a very helpful person, I don’t know how he became involved in bomb making,” another added. Many in the village say Rajeev helped several of them get jobs. But he also coaxed youngsters to join the Bajrang Dal.

Local police have no doubt that Mishra and another youth Bhupinder, died in the August blast while making bombs. But their association with the Dal is largely downplayed by the administration. Says IG Kanpur range SN Singh, “They were very popular in their colonies and it is hard to believe they could have been involved in such activities.” 

Interestingly, two people picked up in the case were let off after narco-tests revealed nothing but no Sangh Parivar leader to whom the deceased were known to be close to have even been questioned.

The IG said police have not been able to establish the source of the chemicals used in the bombs. “Materials used in the bombs are also common to the cracker industry. It is likely they procured it locally. We are making inquiries with wholesalers in the city,” Singh said. 

The Mishra household, understandably, shows no signs of the festive season. Rajeev’s father SS Mishra’s almost lifeless eyes seem tired of greeting new visitors who ask about his son’s death.

A retired junior engineer from Kanpur electricity department, Mishra had been associated with the RSS at one time. Little wonder  then, that three other people present in the room at the time are members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad. “During my formative years I was an active member of RSS and used to attend their programmes. But later I got busy because of personal and professional commitments,” Mishra said pointing to a portrait of RSS founder Dr Hegdewar.

It was a legacy he passed on to his only son. Rajeev, who completed his primary school education in the RSS-run Saraswati Gyan Mandir, was working with Reliance in Lucknow as a compliance officer and used to come home to Nankari on Saturdays. “Every Dussera he used to put up a pandal with the help of Bajrang Dal workers to serve people water,” Mishra  said, breaking down.

Police raided the house and the colony after the blast and reportedly took crucial evidence in terms of Rajeev’s association with the Bajrang Dal. “They took everything from here. Rajeev had prepared a list of around 200 people who were part of his group. Many of them were from IIT,” Mishra added.

Others see a conspiracy in the episode. Arunesh, a VHP leader, has his own interpretation: “Rajeev did not even know what was there in the room. Before he entered the room somebody had already planted the bomb there and it burst soon after he entered. This is all a conspiracy hatched by political parties to bring a bad name to the Sangh Parivar.”

Amit Shukla, an LIC agent and an active VHP functionary, was busy elaborating how Muslims and Christians themselves were converted from Hinduism generations ago.
But everyone was unanimous on one thing — that the Bajrang Dal was doing a phenomenal job not only in Nankari but all of Kanpur. However, when we ask to be shown around the area they became cautious. Arunesh gave a sarcastic smile: “Of course we will show you around but only when we see what is there in your mind and what sort of stories you will publish about the Sangh.”
aditya_k@dnaindia.net

Tomorrow: Sangh Parivar’s intricate networks