In June 2024, the Hindu Janjagriti Samiti organised the Vaishvik Hindu Rashtra Mahotsav in Goa. The theme of the event was “From Hindu Nation to Hindu World” and one of the speakers was Virendra Pandey, the founder of Shoorvir Programme, a service dedicated to connecting Hindu service providers with Hindu clients.
At the Vaishvik Hindu Rashtra Mahotsav, Pandey delivered a 20-minute speech in which he warned against letting “those people” into one’s home. “Most men in cities go to work, leaving mothers and sisters at home. In such situations, if they call someone to fix a broken AC, imagine a Vidharmi [non-believer] entering the most private parts of your house. He gains detailed knowledge of your home – how many sisters, daughters; old or young; who comes and goes, and when. This is how 80-90 percent of jihad begin to take root, when we allow a non-believer into our homes.”
Although Pandey’s choice of vocabulary was obtuse, the pointed innuendoes and use of the word jihad – which translates to “struggle” in Arabic – made it clear that his target was the Muslim community.
“Where a Hindu service provider charges Rs 300-Rs 400 rupees for a task, they [Muslims] offer to do the same job for Rs 250, just to take over,” said Pandey in his speech. “What do you expect in the coming years? We discuss Hindutva, but a non-Hindu is sitting in our homes. In 10 years, there will be many areas where you won’t find a Hindu worker.” He exhorted his audience to boycott Muslim service providers. “You should attempt to boycott them economically,” he said. “Whether people are physically capable of fighting them or not, I don't know. However, many in our society fight. For those who can’t, at least boycott them economically.”
A slight variation of these same words may be found on the website for Shoorvir Programme, which aims to be like Urban Company, connecting service professionals to clients, but exclusively for Hindus. It is described as “a Nobel cause” and the website has images of Guru Gobind Singh, the Sikh guru who fought many battles against the Mughal army; and Lachit Borphukan, the Ahom general who has been adopted as a Hindutva hero for having defeated invading Mughal forces (historians say, Borphukan was not a Hindu and had Muslim commanders in his army).
Shoorvir Programme’s mission statement says, “We must unite constructively in a cohesive manner so that every penny you spend reaches our people only.”
मुसलमान हिंदू व्यापारियों को निगल रहा है....
— SHOORVIR PROGRAMME #nonhalal #savebangladeshihindu (@Shoorvirbharat) June 17, 2024
हिंदू व्यापारियों की कमर तोड़ने की इस्लामी साजिश "मंडी जिहाद" को तत्काल रोका जाए। लोकल नेताओं एवं पुलिस द्वारा इस व्यापारिक जिहाद को अंजाम दिया जा रहा है। यही वे भेड़िए हैं जो इन्हें मंडी लगाने की परमिशन देते हैं।
The Islamic… pic.twitter.com/SbQglzykUO
Among those who are applauding Shoorvir Programme’s divisive and discriminatory policy is a Union minister in the current government.
‘Shoorvir hai na’
Calls for an economic boycott of Muslims have become a regular feature in recent years. In October 2022, during a programme organised by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad in Delhi, a member of parliament from West Delhi, Bharatiya Janata Party’s Pravesh Verma publicly called for the economic boycott of a “special community”, referring to Muslims. In 2023, Gujarat witnessed communal violence following which some villagers released videos stating they would no longer engage in any financial transactions with Muslims. Although a complaint was filed with the police, the court had to intervene and direct the police to file an FIR. The same year, a mahapanchayat was organised in Gurugram, Haryana, with representatives from many villages, after communal violence erupted in Nuh. It issued a call for an economic and social boycott of Muslims.
More recently, during this year’s Kanwar Yatra, the local administration of Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh instructed hotels, dhabas, and street vendors along the pilgrimage route to display the names of their owners. Subsequently, this order was issued by the governments of UP and Uttarakhand – states governed by the BJP – which claimed it would help maintain law and order during Kanwar Yatra. Following petitions filed by the Association for Protection of Civil Rights, MP Mahua Moitra of the Trinamool Congress and civil society activists, the Supreme Court intervened and halted the order.
“Article 15 applies specifically to the government, preventing it from discriminating. However, if an individual is engaging in such behaviour, there is currently no law addressing it because there hasn't been a need until now. For instance, if someone needs an AC repairman, they simply call one without considering whether they are Hindu or Muslim,” said senior lawyer Sanjay Hegde.
Shoorvir Programme is benefiting not only from this legal loophole, but also the backing of members of the political establishment. On July 25, Union minister of textiles and BJP’s MP from Begusarai, Giriraj Singh posted a video on X, formerly Twitter, with the caption, “Wah re hamare shoorvir (Well done, shoorvir).”
The video shows a mechanic with kohl-lined eyes in conversation with a homeowner who is wearing a saffron scarf. The mechanic speaks Urdu-inflected Hindi and his demeanour is abrasive. The two men are interrupted by the home owner’s daughter. She tells the mechanic to leave and says they should not let such ill-mannered people into their home. When her father asks who they should call to do the required repairs, the daughter says, “Shoorvir hai na (We have Shoorvir)”.
वाह रे हमारे शूरवीर pic.twitter.com/ubemVtnzBx
— Shandilya Giriraj Singh (@girirajsinghbjp) July 25, 2024
The video is also available on Shoorvir Programme’s YouTube channel. Newslaundry sent Singh questions about the Shoorvir Programme. If he responds, this article will be updated.
The men behind Shoorvir
Described as “Hindu’s own ecosystem”, Shoorvir Programme claims on its website that it has “given 7000+ services across the country”. Founded by Pandey, who hails from Ghaziabad and currently resides in Guwahati, the initiative is a “social service job placement programme” although the section of the website that is about placements has incomplete, placeholder text. Similarly a section titled “Staff” has an image featuring four white people.
Speaking about Shoorvir, Pandey said to Youtuber Neeraj Atri, “We connect service seekers with workers. Additionally, if someone wants only Sanatani employees in their company, we provide that service as well. Currently, we are operating across the country, except Kerala and Tamil Nadu.”
According to the website, Shoorvir Programme is “a brand name” of an NGO named New Education Welfare Society. Newslaundry spoke to Vikas Jain, secretary of the NGO, who said, "Virendra Pandey manages the Shoorvir Program while I oversee the educational initiatives. We do not interfere in each other's work though we collaborate.” (The Shoorvir Programme website also encourages visitors to “support our Hindu manufacturing machine (Gurukul)” and the Yati Narsinghanand Saraswati Foundation.)
Jain said Pandey was not a member of New Education Welfare Society. When asked if he saw a contradiction between his NGO’s website claiming it serves scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, backward classes, minorities and disabled individuals, and Shoorvir Programme’s focus on serving only Hindus, Jain said, “I will not comment on this matter. We operate separately. The NGO has 30 members. At least two years ago, we decided to provide our platform to the Shoorvir Program.”
Occupying key but unspecified roles in Shoorvir Program are well-known advocates of “Hindu rashtra” (Hindu nation) and some have a history of delivering hate speech against Muslims. The website lists Vinod Kumar Anna as the founder, but on X, Anna referred to the Shoorvir Programme as an initiative by Pandey. Anna, who claims he is a journalist, tweeted in April this year about Shoorvir Programme. In his tweet, he referred to Muslims as ‘Malechhal’. Incidentally, Anna’s YouTube channel was a popular Right-wing channel that was removed by YouTube for violating content policy. He remains active on X.
BREAKINGCriminals entering your home in the name of service but exploit you, rape, murder culture is going to die. SHOORVIR PROGRAMME offers trusted Home Services. You don’t need to suffer the म्लेच्ल from now. Book your home services from https://t.co/3m9Dg8tt0ANo middle… pic.twitter.com/HcsquEA7WR
— String (@StringReveals) April 6, 2024
Also associated with Shoorvir Programme is Yati Narasimhanand Saraswati, the militant Hindu priest who is the head of Dasna Devi temple in UP and has more than 20 cases against him. He was arrested for anti-Muslim hate speech in 2022 after he issued statements such as, “Islam should be wiped off from the earth” and “all Muslims should be exterminated”.
Hindu Janajagruti Samiti is also affiliated with Shoorvir Programme. Its tagline is “For Establishment of the Hindu Rashtra” and it describes itself as “a grassroots level nonprofit organisation committed to upholding Dharma, educating on Dharma, awakening of Dharma in the masses, protection of Bharat, and uniting Hindus with the aim of declaring Bharat a Hindu Rashtra”. Among its better-known members is Amol Kale, who is the prime accused in the case of Gauri Lankesh’s murder and currently out on bail.
Administrator Committee, formed in 2014, says it seeks to educate Hindus and connect them with their religion, but has been accused of disseminating religious hatred through an extensive network that includes 2,200 WhatsApp groups and other media platforms. This group is also associated with Shoorvir Programme.
Ajeet Bharti, formerly the editor of Op India Hindi, now operates his own YouTube channel. His recent videos include a discussion on “sleeping Hindus” in West Bengal and Bangladesh and attempted takedowns of journalist Ravish Kumar and Youtuber Dhruv Rathee. He has also made videos promoting Shoorvir Programme and interviewed Pandey.
Sanjay Dixit of the Right-wing and anti-Muslim propaganda website Jaipur Dialogues, is also an active champion of Shoorvir Programme. On July 20, a poster about Shoorvir was uploaded on Jaipur Dialogues’s X account. The poster provided information and contact details for Shoorvir’s services, accompanied by the caption: “Services for the Hindus, by the Hindus. No need to call a Peacefool in your House, get things done by Trusted Hindu Serviceman. Let’s Build a Hindu Ecosystem!”
Services for the Hindus, by the Hindus
— The Jaipur Dialogues (@JaipurDialogues) July 20, 2024
No need to call a Peacefool in your House, get things done by Trusted Hindu Serviceman
Let’s Build a Hindu Ecosystem! @Shoorvirprogram pic.twitter.com/aqnpwFigyC
Journalist Pankaj Prasun was listed as someone involved with Shoorvir Programme, but he denied any association with it. “I am not associated with any such institution. I only learned about it because you informed me. I will contact them to inquire further,” he told Newslaundry.
While one can register for free, Shoorvir Programme has a membership scheme starting at Rs 600 for six months and Rs 5,100 for five years. “This is a community work” declares the website and there is a disclaimer that reads, “We do not charge any money for our services.”
Two years ago, Pandey claimed to Atri, who runs the YouTube channel Politically Incorrect, that he had knowledge of a high-value government tender. “I received a call from a very senior government officer. Because we work for Sanatan and he also shares Sanatani beliefs,” Pandey told Atri. “He called and told us that there is a significant government tender, worth approximately Rs. 6,000 crores, and that the recruitment process for this project would be conducted through the Shoorvir Yojana.”
Whether or not this is connected to the present-day Shoorvir Program is unclear. Newslaundry reached out to Pandey and his office initially gave us time for an interview, and then later declined. We have sent him questions and if he responds, this report will be updated.
Connecting the (Hindu) dots
Shoorvir Programme claims to provide a wide range of services and service professionals, including electricians, plumbers, teachers, receptionists, office staff, mechanics, engineers, drivers, delivery personnel, tailors, security guards, barbers, caretakers, labourers, technicians, tiffin service providers, artists, beauticians, trainers, medical service professionals, photographers, carpenters, masons, tent service providers, decorators, caterers, and dance instructors.
Although there is a paid membership programme mentioned on the website, the service providers whom Newslaundry spoke to said they had received work even though they had not signed up for Shoorvir Programme.
Kapil Dev, the owner of Shyamji Refrigeration in Janakpuri, Delhi, joined Shoorvir this year. He told Newslaundry, “I didn’t actively join; they added me. I've received very little work through Shoorvir— only two AC jobs this entire season. Their only condition is that the person sent for the work must be Hindu.”
Ravi Kumar repairs TVs and instals dish antennae in Jhansi. He said he learnt about the initiative In March this year, when he received a call from Shoorvir to repair a TV in the Cantt area. So far, he has had four jobs through Shoorvir, all of them for people associated with the Indian Army.
“It is a platform that provides work to Hindus and promotes them,” Kumar told Newslaundry. “At least work gets done and we get employment. I was not informed whether a Muslim employee should be sent or not. Anyway, I work alone, so I do not need to be told. The place where I went to work was associated with the Army. It was not a local job.”
Both these men’s work received feedback, which was posted on Shoorvir’s Twitter handle (perhaps because they sound remarkably like an ad campaign). One response says, “Hindu ecosystem is the need of the hour.” The other says, “Through the Shoorveer program, we had our TV repaired in Jhansi. We received excellent service. The repair, which was being quoted at Rs 2,000 elsewhere, was done for Rs 1,400. Thanks to the entire team.”
Hamare hindu service providers mehnge nahi hai , soch badaliye ab aap apni !! 1400 me Kiya kaam jo market rate 2000 tha .. pic.twitter.com/bhQcQCSHR9
— SHOORVIR PROGRAMME #nonhalal #savebangladeshihindu (@Shoorvirbharat) March 14, 2024
Janakpuri delhi feedback pic.twitter.com/KGg2268Jnq
— SHOORVIR PROGRAMME #nonhalal #savebangladeshihindu (@Shoorvirbharat) April 3, 2024
The intent behind Shoorvir Programme is undisguised in the posts shared on its X account. In a post dated June 17, Muslims were openly targeted and the term “Mandi Jihad” was coined. “Muslims are devouring Hindu traders... The Islamic conspiracy to economically weaken Hindu traders, ‘Mandi Jihad’, must be stopped immediately. This business jihad is being carried out by local leaders and police. These are the wolves who give them permission to set up mandis,” said the tweet.
Similar content is also shared on Instagram.
Even though its claims of finding jobs for Hindu youth seem largely unvalidated, getting the support of a political leader like the Union minister for textiles gives Shoorvir Programme a stamp of credibility. It encourages those signing up to turn a blind eye to the fundamentalism that underlines the initiative, dangling the promise of employment in exchange. This could be a persuasive strategy. According to the Centre for Monitoring the Indian Economy (CMIE), India’s youth unemployment rate, for the age group of 20-24 years, is among the highest in the world. The India Skills Report 2024 indicated only about 50 percent of India’s youth with formal education could fulfil the requirements for employment in a variety of fields. Speaking to Reuters in April this year, Kunal Kundu, India economist at Societe Generale, said, “Following a decade of near jobless growth, the rising number of discouraged workers had pushed India’s LFPR [labour force participation rate] down well below levels exhibited by the four Asian tigers at comparable stages in their demography.”
In August, India’s unemployment rate saw a marginal decline to stand at 6.6 percent and LFPR showed an increase in urban areas compared to last year. Job creation and employment continue to be overriding concerns among Indian youth. In a socio-political climate that has intensified feelings of being marginalised among many Muslims, an initiative like Shoorvir Programme has the potential to be politicised and sharpen social divides.
This piece was first published in Newslaundry Hindi. Translated by Chandan Singh Rajput.
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