Another Christmas, another flashpoint: Tension in Hisar as Bajrang Dal plans Hanuman Chalisa near church

3 companies of policemen and water cannon vehicle deployed, notices issued to leaders of the Hindu outfit after announcement of havan, Hanuman Chalisa in front of 160-year-old St Thomas Church.

The 150-year-old St Thomas Church in Hisar | By special arrangement

Gurugram: After an announcement by the Bajrang Dal that they will recite the Hanuman Chalisa outside a church in Hisar on Christmas Day, there is tension in Hisar, Haryana.

While preparations were on for the past two days for Christmas celebrations at the 160-year-old St Thomas Church, now after the Bajrang Dal’s announcement, the administration has deployed three companies of police personnel, fearing breach of peace.

The Bajrang Dal told the media Wednesday and put up banners and posters announcing that its activists would organise a havan and recite the Hanuman Chalisa in the Krantiman Park opposite the St Thomas Church.

Following this, the local police Wednesday issued notices to some leaders associated with the right-wing organisation, including Sanjeev Chauhan, a resident of Quarter Chowki; Kapil from Indira Colony; Praveen from Lahoria Chowk; and Amar from Kaimri village.

ThePrint has accessed the notice served by Hisar Civil Lines Police Station. Written in Hindi, the notice states that no programme should be held without prior permission from the administration. Any breach of peace will be considered their (Bajrang Dal leaders’)  responsibility.

The administration’s notice states that information received through social media and other sources indicates that a programme marking the Maharshi Shraddhanand Martyrdom Day is proposed to be held at Krantiman Park from 2 pm to evening on 25 December.

The notice states that no programme should be organised without permission from the district administration if it has the potential to disrupt law and order, peace, or social harmony.

Police deployment outside St Thomas Church in Hisar | By special arrangement

The recipients of the notice have been directed that if they wish to organise the Maharshi Shraddhanand Martyrdom Day programme, they must first obtain permission from the district administration and also announce expected attendance at the venue and the arrangements made to manage the crowd and maintain peace. They have also been instructed to refrain from spreading rumours, provoking people, or engaging in any activity that could create tension.

However, Bajrang Dal activists are adamant on holding their programme. Flags and banners were being put up at Krantiman Park till late Wednesday evening. Bajrang Dal’s national convenor, Kishan Prajapati, is scheduled to attend the event.

The programme organiser, Prof Deepak Kumar, told the media Wednesday that their members will go ahead with the programme and will follow all laws.

He, however, had no answers as to why they had chosen 25 December to commemorate Swami Shradhhanand’s martyrdom day which falls on 23 December, and why they had chosen the park opposite the church for their programme.

The church committee chairman, Rajesh Kumar, however, told ThePrint that there was no objection to the Bajrang Dal’s programme, as long as peace was maintained.

Haryana Police commandos have been deployed inside the park. A water cannon has also been stationed to deal with any emergency situation or crowd control.

Three companies of police personnel have been deployed in connection with the programme. Four DSP-rank officers will also remain on security duty. The entire area has been barricaded to prevent the crowd from swelling all at once.

SP Shashank Kumar Sawan didn’t respond to the call made by ThePrint to his mobile phone. Vikas Kumar, spokesperson of the Hisar Police, told ThePrint that elaborate arrangements have been made to prevent any breach of peace.

The St Thomas Church, in front of which the Bajrang Dal plans the Hanuman Chalisa recitation, was built in the 19th century. Constructed in Victorian architectural style, it has been recognised as a historic monument by the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH). Special programmes are held there on Christmas Day.

Krantiman Park, located near the church, was known as Company Bagh during the British era. It has a pillar commemorating the 1857 uprising.

Pattern across Haryana

This isn’t an isolated incident. Haryana has witnessed multiple confrontations during the Christmas season. Disruptions were reported from Rohtak and Ambala districts last year.

In Rohtak, VHP and Bajrang Dal members stormed a Christmas celebration at Shiv Punjabi Dharamshala, forcing attendees to leave, and reciting the Hanuman Chalisa on stage. The event, which had former WWE wrestler ‘The Great Khali’ as chief guest, had to be called off. Over Rs 8.5 lakh spent on arrangements went to waste.

In Ambala’s Barnala village, right-wing activists allegedly attacked women and children during Sunday prayers, hurling bricks at the venue. An FIR has been registered against Bajrang Dal’s district president Devi Dayal and others for the attack.

In 2021, a group had entered a church in Kurukshetra and disrupted Christmas celebrations by singing Hindu devotional songs. Similarly, at Pataudi in Gurugram, Sangh Parivar activists had entered a school where Christmas festivities were taking place and schoolchildren were performing.

(Edited by Viny Mishra)