Several Muslim families in a village here have adopted surnames such as Dubey, Pandey, and Tiwari, claiming their ancestors were Hindus.

This transformation stems from a campaign led by the Vishal Bharat Sansthan, an organisation encouraging individuals in the Purvanchal region of the state "to reconnect with their roots" to end religious conflicts.

Naushad Ahmed, now known as Naushad Ahmed Dubey, said, "I discovered my ancestors were Brahmins. My father, Lal Bahadur Dubey, was later known as Lal Bahadur Sheikh." A resident of Dehri village in Kerakat tehsil, he asserted that he follows Islamic practices such as namaz and fasting, but has started caring for cows and now owns nine of them.

"I haven't changed my religion, just my surname, to honour my ancestors," he said. However, none of the family members have changed their surname.

The campaign has inspired others in the village which has a sizeable Muslim population.

Sheikh Abdullah, now Sheikh Abdullah Dubey, said he has adopted the Dubey surname but continues to practice Islam. He declined to engage in Hindu rituals like reciting the Hanuman Chalisa or idol worship.

Ehtesham Ahmed, another resident, acknowledged his Brahmin lineage but refrained from using a Hindu surname, saying, "Adopting a surname doesn't mean practising Hindu rituals." Naushad, who faced backlash after getting his full name printed on his daughter's wedding invitation, revealed, "Some people spread rumours that I have converted my religion, causing the marriage to be called off. However, I didn't justify myself to anyone." The local Kerakat police station in-charge Avneesh Kumar Rai on Tuesday held a meeting in the village following threats to Naushad's family.

"We will identify and act against mischief-makers," he assured them.

Meanwhile, Jaunpur Superintendent of Police Ajaypal Sharma told PTI that extra police personnel have deployed in the area as a preventive measure even though, there have been no official complaints in the cases. "We are maintaining communication with all locals." Rajeev 'Guruji', the national president of Vishal Bharat Sansthan, said the organisation's work aims to help people rediscover their ancestry.

"Through our 'Reconnect with Roots' initiative, many have come forward to explore their family histories," he said.

He added that the campaign has extended beyond Jaunpur, with families in Azamgarh, Ghazipur, and Varanasi also adopting Hindu surnames.

He claimed that Kunwar Naseem Raza Sikarwar of Ghazipur and others like Irshad Ahmed Pandey and Rehan Dubey have played pivotal roles in this movement.

When asked about the motivation for the initiative, Rajeev said, "The aim of this campaign is to end religious conflicts. If people know their roots, they can forget their mutual animosity." "Any religion can be changed but caste cannot be changed. There are as many castes in Muslims as there are in Hindus. Muslims also have Brahmins, Thakurs, and Vaishyas. In such a situation, if we find out their roots and prove that a particular person is also a Brahmin, then people can forget their mutual animosity," he told PTI.

He further said, "To find this, we investigate the gazetteer, old land papers and also examine other relevant old documents, we get the name given according to them and prove that a particular person belongs to which caste." He said the campaign was launched five years ago but has started bearing results in the districts of Purvanchal only two years ago.

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