No disturbance was reported from either taluka, though the HDM and the Christian populace were learnt to be going ahead with preparations for their respective functions.

The HDM rallies, organised in collaboration with the Parivar's tribal wing, the Vanvasi Kalyan Parishad, at Dolarwa and Tokarwa villages in Songadh district on Friday and at the Umarkhadi village of Mangrol -- all predominantly tribal areas on Sunday, have been called in protest against alleged forcible conversion of Adivasis by Christian missionaries.

Acknowledging that the meetings could pose a law-and-order problem, police officials said that they had, however, made ``adequate arrangements''. District Superintendent of Police B D Vaghela told Express Newsline, ``All senior district police officials will camp at these places from Thursday and I do anticipate any violence.''

Vaghela said State police officials, too, had instructed them to ensure that both the Christmas celebrations and the HDM rallies passed off peacefully. ``Similar simultaneous meetings were peacefully held last year at Pipalwada'', he added.

One company of the State Reserve Police, 150 Home Guards and 100 personnel of the Gram Rakshak Dal will assist the district police, the DSP said, adding that hooligans and anti-social elements had already been rounded up in the past four days. ``In addition, we are clamping down on liquor dens'', he said.

Describing the rallies as a launch of a `dharmyudh', the saffron brigade had earlier announced that they aimed to bring back to the fold ``tribals misguided over the past 10-15 years'' and would not stop at violence if it was called for.

BJP district president Pravin Tailor -- one of the scheduled speakers at the rallies, along with Bardoli MLA Rajnikant Rajwadi and Harshad Shah -- had earlier told Express Newsline that the rallies were meant to stop forcible conversion of tribals.

According to information available with the district police, more than 15,000 to 20,000 people -- mostly from the city -- were likely to attend the Dolarwa rally between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Friday. The crowd was then expected to proceed to Tokarwa, 10 km away, for cultural programmes based on Hindu mythology, the DSP said.