sanatanis and reformists (such as the arya samaj, the radha soamis and the ramakrishna mission) have competed for adherents for more than a century, sometimes creating deep schisms in hindu society, as in the case of south african hindus who were split between the arya samaj and sanatanis. while the reformist groups were better organized initially, by the 1860s, a process of internal counter-reform was underway in sanatani groups as well, and societies to propagate orthodox beliefs along modern lines emerged, such as sanatan dharm rakshini sabha in 1873. the early part of the twentieth century saw heated debates and clashes between sanatanis and reformist denominations, presenting ""as alarming a scene as a clash between hindu and muslim"" groups. some religious commentators have compared the sanatani-samaji dichotomy within hinduism as similar to the catholic-protestant division in christianity.