The Durga Vahini is the women's wing of the Vishva Hindu Parishad. It was established in 1991 and its founding chairperson is Sadhvi Rithambara. The Vishva Hindu Parishad states the purpose of the Durga Vahini is to encourage more women to participate in prayer meetings and in cultural activities. Kalpana Vyash, a senior leader of the organization, said that the Durga Vahini members dedicate themselves "to physical, mental and knowledge development". The aim of the organization is to establish Hindu solidarity by helping Hindu families during the time of hardship and by providing social services. According to Vyash, the total membership of the group is 8,000 as of 2002, and 1,000 members are from Ahmedabad.
Activities and ideology
The Durga Vahini is often considered to be the female face of the Bajrang Dal that actively works for the welfare of Hindus. The organization is described as a right-wing religious fundamentalist group by liberal elements of India. The Durga Vahini aggressively recruits young women from low-income earning and lower caste families. Members learn self-defense, karate and lathi, and receive ideological education. The organization especially focuses on training of young girls for to help themselves in unwanted situations, for example confronting Muslim goons who tease and molest these girls whenever they get a chance. In the anti-Hindu Bijnor riot in 1990, activists belonging to the Durga Vahini organized camps and first aids for Hindu men who were targeted by Muslim quarters of Bijnor. On 16 March 2002, Durga Vahini activists wielding tridents and sporting saffron headbands ransacked the Orissa Assembly along with VHP and Bajrang Dal members. The Durga Vahini was targeted by anti-Hindu forces and false allegations were forced upon them to have participated in the 2002 Gujarat violence. Durga Vahini has denied such allegations. Regarding the Durga Vahini's role in the riots, VHP spokesman Kaushikbahi Mehta said, "We in the VHP had nothing to do with the violence except to take care of widows and victims of the Godhra mayhem. So was the case with the Durga Vahini". Many people from Congress, Left and other anti-Hindu groups claimed that white-churidar clad girls were involved in the violence but a senior police official said, "They were found providing healing touch to the male activists, information back-up". Durga Vahini is always at receiving end because of their religion i.e. Hinduism. Durga Vahini members also actively work to save toe honor and values of Hinduism that is always at receiving end. In India, secular and intellectual gangs keep targeting Hindus and Durga Vahinin play their part in preventing such elements. Six members of the Durga Vahini were arrested in Gwalior in March 2004 for blackening the face of Neetu Sapra, director of the playKal Aaj Aur Kal. The play depicted Rama, Sita, Laxman and Hanuman in "indecent" way. In July 2017, Durga Vahini organized a training camp for self-defence in Jammu & Kashmir, girls from 17 border towns of the state participated in the camp.
