Clamor in Topsia for mosque send shudder of fright

Turning worst apprehensions depicted through the article “Communal tensions over mosques heightening” (published in this website of late) into truth, Topsia in Kolkata today was thrown out of gear for consecutive hours following clamors and disruptive activities of a large group of hoodlums hell-bent to grab the Asgar Mistri Mosque under Hafez Dilawar Hossain Wakf State within the jurisdiction of Topsia police station. Tension that any such sinister development would take place was prevalent in the area, enjoying an overwhelming Hindu population, and the fear heightened through recurrent malicious propaganda in the environs against Hindus and also slanderous campaigns against Mamata Banrejee, Chief Minister of Bengal. Even if police tired to ward off criminal offense today, they, being ordered by political taskmasters to retain a strong minority support, had to remain silent for most of the time.

This event is a dangerous signal to all, especially when religious antagonism is becoming order of the day fast and Hindu persecution across the border in Bangladesh is instigating a group of people to enact the same in this part of the border also. Fears do not end here – these incidents are becoming common increasingly across Bengal replacing the old concept of Love Jihad and commencing any trouble anywhere to express martial prowess. An ominous era prevails in Bengal.

Communal tensions over mosques heightening

It has come to knowledge from sources that on January 3, 2014, a few prominent leaders of Muslim community, following Jumma Namaz in the mosque situated at Samsul Huda Road, Kolkata – 17, mulled over the fate of two mosques for hours.

One of the two mosques happens to be the Hazi Benku Lane Mosque, located at No. 13 Konnagar under the jurisdiction of the police station of Uttar Para in the district of Hooghly. It has also been learnt, the mosque and its adjoining property was purchased by an individual named Subrata Sengupta for a real estate project. But commencement of the venture led to an uproar in the area. To stop the project, Muslims asked the local administration to let them offer namaz in the adjoining land (lying vacant) but the proposal was refuted by Uttar Para police station outright. To stave off any untoward development, the property was termed as disputed and Section 144 of CrPC was imposed. The notice was conveyed to Muslim intellectuals and clerics as well. However, this failed to end the fiasco.  According to sources, Section 144 was declared at No. 12 Benku Lane while the address of mosque and its adjoining property is No. 13 Benku Lane, Konnagar, Hooghly.

A team of Ghazis is being set up to recover the mosque with the property; they are gearing up to offer Jumma Namaz there on January 10 and to make this endeavor a great success, a malicious propaganda is also being conducted in several areas. The main aim is to gather as many Ghazis there as possible making administration apprehend a grave communal trouble in the area. Abdul Matin, in-charge Motawali of Hazi Benku Baksh mosque, is playing a leading part in this context and his associates include Maulana Abdul Mannan (Imam Saheb), Badre Alam, Anowar Hussain, Imran, Ad Tabat Alam and Abul Hasan.  

The other mosque is Asgar Mistri Mosque under Hafez Dilawar Hossain Wakf State within the jurisdiction of Topsia police station and no stone is being left unturned to achieve this too. As per locals, venomous propaganda is being conducted against Hindus and even Mamata Banerjee, chief minister of Bengal, is also being slandered. On January 3, 2014, Musallis of Beniapukur Mosque blocked off local streets as a part of this struggle. It is to be noted, such a desperate effort took place in 2010 also.    

Sheikh Moti arrested in Dubrajpur for raping a five-year old girl in Suri, Birbhum

Crime against women has become the latest fad in Bengal; whether it is the infamous Park Street case episode in Kolkata or the gang rape and murder of a teenager in Madhyamgram of late, the saga continues. Fate of culprits in these cases is now shared by Sheikh Moti. He has been arrested on January 3, 2014 from the village of Khaitan in Dubrajpur for raping a five-year old girl in Suri, Birbhum on last Tuesday. It has been learnt, he has been sent to jail custody for 14 days.

The dreadful incident occurred on last Tuesday when Laxmi Majhi (named changed) was playing with her friends in the courtyard of Hemanta Mahara in Saddipara in Ward no. 12 in the town of Suri within the district of Birbhum. The culprit who lives in Rutipara visited Hemanta’s residence on that day. While he was talking to Hemanta, Moti saw Laxmi and allegedly dragged her into Hemanta’s residence and raped her. Locals affirm that Hemanta and his wife’s silence incited him to go on with the heinous crime. When Laxmi, at night, informed her father that she was ailing, she was taken to a gynecologist and then to the Suri hospital. After a thorough medical examination there, it was confirmed that she had been raped. Laxmi’s father filed an official complaint against Sheikh Moti to rape Laxmi and also against Hemanta Mahara and Rekha Mahara (his wife) for abetting the crime. 

Perhaps as part of a custom, police here also, locals allege, remained laid-back in the beginning and only a furious civil movement compelled it to act fast and nab Sheikh Moti finally. But the absconding couple including Hemanta and his wife is yet to be found.   

Hindu shops destroyed in Kultali, South 24 Paraganas

Riotous Muslim mob retains sway

On January 1, 2014, between 9 am and 1 pm, almost 70 shops possessed by Hindus at Dhaki Bazar within the jurisdiction of police station of Kultali in the district of South 24 Paraganas were captured by a large gang of Muslims. It has been learnt, around 1, 000 Muslim people from the adjoining area and also from outside assembled within the market. They were from all walks of life and from different political parties also but united with a single purpose and it was to oust Hindu traders from those shops. Even if Hindu leaders of same political parties also watched the turmoil, they preferred to remain as mute spectators. According to locals, all Hindu leaders took flight once they learnt that the unruly mob comprising riotous youths was led by Suja, alleged to be a trusted acquaintance of Selim or the dreaded criminal from Mograhat. 

A contingent of local police station under the supervision of a police officer named Imarul Haque was also there but they remained silent even if forceful eviction of traders including Panchu Gharami, Kinkar Mandal, Kashinath Paik and Sanat Mandal went on. None of concerned youths has been taken into custody yet and indisposition of Hindus terrified to file an official complaint even has led to a stalemate. Locals confirm that partisanship of Kultali police station against Hindus in every capacity has been continuing for decades.  

Banjanharia Charial Block Primary Health Centre vandalized following Muslim youth’s death

On December 29, 2013, at 11 am, Banjanharia Charial Block Primary Health Centre in the village of Banjanharia under the jurisdiction of Budge Budge police station in 24 Paraganas (South) district turned into a battlefield between Hindus and Muslims following the death of a Muslim youth.

It has come to knowledge, Hakim Sheikh (name changed), a youth living in the environs, was admitted to the Primary Health Centre (on December 29) with acute chest pain as well as high fever. However, he succumbed to death unfortunately within the next one hour. But family members of Hakim Sheikh, alleging wrong medical treatment, ransacked the hospital and even threatened Sujata Dutta (name changed) of dire consequences. Even if she asked them to go for post-mortem (if necessary), the irate mob snubbing her went on with the rampage. The turmoil irritated local Hindus lots as some of them were also handled roughly within the medical institution. The situation became terrible when a Hindu youth got involved with a few fierce protesters.

No less than hundreds of Hindus appeared there soon to teach the violent mob a lesson. But the situation was saved with the timely intervention of local police. Protesters were made vacate the ground alongside the hospital without delay. While leaving, Hindus and Muslims were seen to warn each other. No protester has been arrested yet.   

Hindus stop construction of illegal mosque in Kolkata Leather Complex

Gangapur, a village alongside the famed Kolkata Leather Complex under the jurisdiction of the Kolkata Leather Complex Police Station within 24 Paraganas (South) district, remained witness to a communal fracas on December 24, 2013 due to bids of fortifying an illegal mosque in the environs. It has been learnt, a few people (belonging to Muslim community) appeared in the land sharing an ancient temple of Banadevi surprisingly and without consulting anyone, they commenced to build up a new structure – later found as an illicit mosque. The news was enough to both unnerve and enrage local Hindus as they knew that they would have to pay a high price for this ultimately.

It is worth mentioning, the ancient temple exists within 100 meters of the disputed and illegal structure; Hindus worship at the temple regularly and the Banadevi fair is also organized there annually.  As a result, the effort behind this new mosque was deemed as evil by local Hindus. They also realized that completion of the same would endanger Hindu locality and its way of life. And this new crisis would not be limited to any jolt only. On the word of a villager (on condition of anonymity), “even If Hindus have no problem with any new mosque, past experiences are enough to ascertain that any such development would call Hindus, their religious beliefs and also worships a halt. And administration supports these evil designers only.” 

As there was no other option for a peaceful resolution, local Hindus, led by Hindu Samhati, organized a mass resistance to the shady project leading to its termination finally.   

Steer clear of Hindu Samhati

One sharp, stern struggle, and the slaves of centuries are free - George Massey 

Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable - John F. Kennedy

No matter how much omnipotent can a regime be, it cedes to the power representing people ultimately. This has been the guiding principle for all generations but contemporary Bengal administration is yet to comprehend it and hence, it is busy to hound and despoil Hindu Samhati, known for its glaring role in monitoring and reporting violations against Hindus in the state. Ever since its formation, there have been relentless state government-sponsored attacks on it and horrific developments in Rajbari, under the jurisdiction of Sandeshkhali in South 24 Paraganas district, of late bring to light what Hindus are going through.

 Following the visit of a team of Hindu Samhati to the abovementioned area and its neighborhood on December 17, 2013, local administration, instigated by Islamists, lost no time to both terrorize and penalize Hindus in the area. Even if Hindu Samhati’s team members during the visit were surveiled by Muslim youths, it was hard to imagine then that more problems were awaiting local Hindus. Amoy Bhunia or Gora, a decent Hindu youth in Rajbari, was arrested out of no reasons and a large contingent of police along with RAF was deployed to foil any effort to release him.  When a large number of local Hindus, defying all oppressions, built up a peaceful protest against the detention, police and RAF lathicharged 1000 of them brutally and as per reports, it was done under the instruction of Shahjahan Sheikh, highly influential leader of Trinamool Congress in the locality – infamous and worked as a reliable crook of CPIM till a few months back. No less than 11 Hindus including 5 women were arrested. One of them was Rumpa Bhunia and owing to police attack, she suffered several injuries. Nevertheless, daring struggles of Hindus made police release the detainees ultimately.

But it was not all as on the next day police, in the dead of night, forayed No. 14 Baghmari village and arrested Ramchandra Sardar and Babusona Sardar. But this also turned out to be a failure for police only as they were snatched by Hindus in the midway. Hindu women in strength were present in the mob and used jharu or broom to teach police and administration a strong lesson.   

Is this a new beginning for passive Hindus? Perhaps it is and with the increase of oppressions on them, resistances will also become harsher – it can be said without doubt.