The VHP's eighth Dharma Sansad, which is being held here from February 5, is also likely to take up the socio-religious retrieval and upbringing of the tribals.

VHP's secretary in charge of Gujarat and Rajasthan, Mahendra Bhatt, who is looking after the project, said at least one such school would be set up in each village in the tribal belt. To be run by VHP-trained tribal youth, the school will teach rhymes, local sports and, above all, ``the Hindu way of life'' upto standard III.

Though the vidyalayas won't be seeking Government recognition, Bhatt doesn't see that as a drawback. ``We'll request the local school authorities to induct these children into their institutions after a direct examination. We'll also talk to the education department on this'', he said.

Each school is expected to incur an annual cost of Rs 10,000. Their administration will be in charge of gram samitis, while full-time supervisors will be expected to keep an eye on the functioning of schools in 10 villages each.

To give the concept a more missionary touch, the local volunteers will be given first-aid boxes and training in first-aid.

Some 60 Ekal Vidyalayas would start functioning in the Dediapada and Sagbara talukas of Bharuch district from March this year, Bhatt said, adding that another 90 30 each in Songadh, Mandvi and Nizar talukas of Surat district would come up in the next six months.

When asked why they were focusing only on the tribal areas, Bhatt said, ``We're also going to remote areas like Kutch and backward areas like Banaskantha.'' But he admitted that the main focus would be on the tribal areas. ``This is necessary if we have to save the tribals from being misguided and influenced by foreign missionaries.... If we don't reach them, either the Naxalites or the missionaries will'', he said.

Appearing confident of the success of the experiment, the VHP leader said that 1,100 such schools had been operational in Bihar since 1988.

The jump from Bihar to Gujarat is not without significance, especially in the background of the recent unrest in South Gujarat. But while the missionary presence has come under a cloud only of late, dubious motives are already being read in the VHP's school-plan. It remains to be seen if they're justified.