Conversions of Hindus, genocide, what they say is the Congress government’s poor track record against Islamic terrorism, “persecution at the hands of anti-Hindus”, are recurrent themes, alongside a call for Hindus and Hindu organisations to unite.

Unlike leaders of the RSS, VHP and Bajrang Dal, the men and women behind these new outfits are low profile activists who have been quietly chipping away at the mindset of Hindus in Maharashtra and Goa. The founder of the SS, the oldest of the three groups, is Dr Jayant Athavale, a clinical hypnotherapist who practised for two decades and also set up the Indian Society of Clinical Hypnosis and Research.

But the man, estimated to be about 60 years old, rarely emerges from his “writing work” and is no longer active in the daily activities of the group, activists said. “On account of the task of writing books on spirituality as per the direction of Guru, spiritual practice and illness, H H Dr Jayant Balaji Athavale has kept himself away from the activities of Sanatan Sanstha and Hindu Janajagruti Samiti for the last four years,” SS Managing Trustee Virendra Marathe told The Indian Express in an e-mail.

“His interaction with others is limited to the extent of conveying his thoughts, if any”many of the seekers who are associated with Sanatan Sanstha from the beginning have not seen him for many years, while new seekers have not seen him at all,” he added.

The clinical hypnosis research institute he set up, in Sion, central Mumbai, is now a small centre of the Sanstha, where occasional satsangs are held. “He travels to all the centres,” said Abhay Vartak, the Mumbai spokesperson for the Sanstha. “Unse milna mushkil hai (it’s difficult to meet him).”

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