Islamists steadfast to tarnish Harisava Hindu Girls’ School, Burdwan

No school exclusively for Hindus is allowed

Not a school in Bengal will be allowed to remain free of the orbit of Islamic machismo; either the educational institution will have to yield to its strength or dissolve ultimately. So precarious is the basis of mushrooming Islamic fundamentalism, all set to vitiate the environment and swallow Bengali Hindus ultimately. When the mindset is such how can Harisava Hindu Girls’ School situated in the district town of Burdwan be allowed to think and work independently? Islamists refuse to live with such multiculturalism and hence, they have targeted their guns against the school’s management committee and blaming it to be vicious against minorities, in particular Muslims.        

As per West Bengal Minority Commission, no government-funded school can act thus and has got to accept students of all religions including Muslims. On November 27, 2012, Janab Intaz Ali Shah, ex-Judge and chairman of the commission, asked Burdwan district administration, school education department and the concerned school management committee (through Memo No. 1019 – MC/C-148-2012) that abiding by the constitution and legal system of India and its human virtue along with democratic consciousness, the school must open its door to all including Muslims and no illegal approach will be tolerated. However, the school’s management committee has never shied away from asserting their own reservations in this regard. The committee has stated time and again there is paucity of space in the school’s premises, students often go to the temple and the presence of Muslim girls there may lead to tensions having enough chances to worsen in near future.

But the West Bengal Minority Commission is adamant, unwilling to listen to school’s viewpoint and has therefore warned the institution of dire consequences before long.

The administration is silent as expected adding salt to the gaping wound of Hindus; local Islamists are also increasing pressure on Harisava Hindu Girls’ School to seize it once and for all.

Harisava Hindu Girls’ School, if truth be told, is fighting a lone battle to retain its tradition of allowing only      Hindus in the institution ever since 1943. The change of school’s character will be a great blow to Hindu beliefs in the neighborhood.  

Will a madarasa be ready ever to introduce SrimadBhagavadGita in its curriculum?

Article 30 (1) of the Constitution of India states, “All minorities, whether based on religion or language, shall have the right to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice.” 

But the majority community or Hindus in India is bereft of such rights and can’t administer an educational institution even as per its own tradition and Harisava Hindu Girls’ School is bearing the same brunt. How long will such discrimination be tolerated? 

Hindu Samhati’s convention in Amtala earns great success

Struggle – cornerstone of Hindus

On 22 nd September, Hindu Samhati coordinated a convention at Gotalahat in Amtala under the jurisdiction of police station of Bishnupur, District: 24 Paraganas (South). It was attended by local Hindus in large numbers. The convention emphasized the need of Hindu unity at this critical juncture when a surge in Islamic fundamentalism is being witnessed in the whole of Bengal, especially in 24 Paraganas (South), regarded as the worst victim of this saga already. Apart from leaders of Hindu Samhati, several others including Krishna Maharaj of Gauriya Math, Amaresh Bhattacharya took part in the meeting. What astounded people in the dais was the spontaneity of Hindus attending the convention in throngs. The meeting was presided by Ganesh Mandal, well-known businessman in the locality.

Speaking on the occasion, whether he is Krishna Maharaj or Amaresh Bhattacharya or Ganesh Mandal even, all accentuated plights of Hindus in the district thanks to escalating tortures on them by Islamists and strange apathy of the reigning administration to it. Each single incident demonstrates how Hindus in the whole district, let alone other areas, are being victimized and if Hindus get victorious out of the blue ever, it is turned into a pyrrhic victory. Both administration and Islamists maintain a strong liaison in this regard and their ultimate aim is to break up the Hindu consolidation, their morale leading to exodus. Unless this is checked, Hindu population in 24 Paraganas (South) will cease to exist soon and a Hindu-free land will entice foes of Dharma to use this territory as a fort to strengthen their grievous design of  exterminating Hindus racially.

Both Bikarna Naskar and Somraj Ganguli, senior leaders of Hindu Samhati, narrated their own experiences of taking on Islamists directly and even hand-to-hand confrontation with them to save Hindus. Exemplifying a few incidents, they messaged the gathering unless Hindus fight, there is no hope. Hindus have to devote themselves to struggle and wherever (and whenever) Hindus fight against injustice and threat of Muslim radicals decisively, victory remains with them only.

Surge in cases of sexual abuse against women in Bengal as administration goes slow on attackers

Sexual abuse and assault of women has become a regular affair in the Indian state of West Bengal. While people’s anguishes against the government for not doing enough to protect women are rising steadily, the government prefers to retain a strange silence. The actions of the government as well as ground reports suggests that in a majority of cases, the attackers belong to Muslim community whereas the victims are Hindus, leading to deepening resentment among the victims who allege that government inaction is only to secure minority votes. One of many such victims is 16 year old Sujata Mal, daughter of Biswanath Mal, resident of Maheshpur village in Jangipara police station, Radhanagar panchayet under Hoogly district. Sujata was a bright student of Dwarhatta Rajeswari Girls' High School in Class IX. Both her parents were manual labourers and in spite of impoverished conditions, they struggled hard to provide her daughter with the best quality education they could afford. But what the family has got in return was her half-nude, slain body that was found on 15th September from beside a channel. The dead body had started to decompose and has been sent to Kolkata Medical College for a forensic examination. Irate villagers blocked the road for hours in protest. Belated appearance of police in the spot added fuel to fire and only after police assured villagers that criminals would be arrested soon, the roadblock was withdrawn. While investigations are still going on, the villagers opine that the case is a conspiracy hatched against unfortunate Sujata by someone from the neighboring village of Parbatipur. This village is inhabited by people from both Hindu and Muslim communities and is known for frequent inter-community clashes in the environs.

Madhabi Ghosh, resident in the village of Kaosate under the jurisdiction of police station of Baduria in the district of 24 Paraganas (North) committed suicide on 15th September after being molested by a few inhabitants of the same village including one Firoze Mandal, who goes by the pseudonym Genesh as per information from local sources. It has been reported that the entire plan was designed by Nurjahan Bibi, another resident of Kaosate, with an intention to size land and property of Madhabi who was managing the distillery business of her husband. It has been learnt that on 15th September a group of people who were later identified as Muslims rushed to her residence in the evening, forcefully brought her out and molested her in public. Madhabi committed suicide later on. However, no information of whether police is handling the case has been found yet as local Hindus find it too risky to fetch information from Kaosate.

The entire municipality of Baruipur in the district of 24 Paraganas (South) is aghast now following the molestation of a young girl in the crowded area of Bypass at the junction of Padmapukur and Qazipara on 17th September in the evening. It has been learnt while the girl was walking with three of her female friends she was molested by an unknown man. But there was no protest as the molester was too quick to be caught. Only when the girl rescued herself and informed her relatives, the reality was comprehended. According to locals, molester was not alone; he had been seen to talk to some other persons. But none of them could be seen following the attack.  The victim girl works in a nursing home in Baruipur and invited three friends on the occasion of Viswakarma Puja. An official complaint against two local miscreants Bubai Sheikh and Battu Gazi has been lodged by her to the local police station. None has been arrested yet.

Housewife gang-raped, murdered in Dhapdhapi

Bithi (name changed) is 23 year old wife of Purna Ghosh (name changed) and resident of Dhapdhapi village under Baruipur police station in 24 Parganas (South)) district. On 1^st August she was raped and murdered by a gang of criminals while returning with her girl child Mrittika (name changed) to her residence at 8 pm. During the incident, three of the criminals encircled her all of a sudden and grabbed both mother and daughter in a flash. They were then taken to Dakshin (South) Barasat area where Bithi was raped while an assailant named Salauddin poured acid on her face. Later on, the same culprit Salauddin took Bithi to Baruipur Sub-divisional Hospital and phoned Tarak, brother of Bithi who lives in Dakshin (South) Durgapur and informed him of the development. Hearing the news Tarak along with other family members rushed to the hospital to find Bithi lying dead in a pool of blood. When questioned by police, Tarak confirmed that Salauddin was the main conspirator behind the event. According to Tarak, Salauddin used to regularly harass Bithi before her marriage and that he was cautioned by Tarak and his brothers to leave her alone. Based on complains by the victim’s family, Salauddin along with his accomplices Ramzan Mandal, Abdul Mandal and Nazir Mandal have been arrested by police. An FIR 86/13 dated 03.08.2013 under sections 302 and 342 IPC have been lodged against them.  According to police, Salauddin initially poured acid on Bitihi’s face to conceal her identity but later changed his mind and to prove his innocence, phoned Tarak. 

Protest against bail of molester grows violent in Chengail

Police van ransacked; 2 arrested 

Following the unexpected release of Mohammad Lalbabu Munshi (culprit of molesting Shilpi – student of Class IV at Chengail Kiran Sashi Siksha Mandir) and unwillingness of both school authority and police to ensure safety of girl students in the locality, simmering anger of people burst out on July 31 morning when local youths brought out a protest march against brazen developments. Local youths went to both Chengail Kiran Sashi Siksha Mandir and Chengail Sri Vidyaniketan High School (opened after Panchayat election and counting) to close down the two educational institutions as a mark of protest. Even if an examination was going on in the high school, school authority folded the institution to support the protest march.

It has been learnt, local police was phoned repeatedly to be a witness to the protest. But their late arrival proved to be enough to deteriorate the situation. The infuriated mob terming the late arrival as reluctance, grew violent and damaged the main gate of Chengail Kiran Sashi Siksha Mandir within minutes. Police vans couldn't evade this intense anger as well; windowpane of a police vehicle was damaged. 

Then large contingent of police and RAF deployed in the area. Gourab Dey and Bablu Dhara were arrested by P.S. Uluberia. In evening massive raids were conducted in houses of Hindu localities of Chengail by police. Hindus are scared to stay home at night. Situation is tense.

Minor student of Chengail primary school brutally molested

Bail of culprit creates uproar

As Shilpi (name changed) was talking to this scribe, she was just shivering while her eyes were moistened as well – perhaps this was due to her bleak future following instruction of her parents that she would not attend the school where she was happy till the morning of July 25, 2013. Shilpi of age 14 is a student of Class IV at Chengail Kiran Sashi Siksha Mandir where she was brutally molested at 10.30 am on the same day by Mohammad Lalbabu Munshi, son of Rashid Munshi and living in a village of Chengail, P.S. Uluberia. District: Howrah.

It has been learnt, Lalbabu Munshi went to the school at 10.20 am on last Thursday (July 25) alleging that his son is also a student of the same school. On the fateful morning, Shilpi went to the school with her sister earlier and the culprit, exploiting absence of students then, went to the classroom directly, asked Shilpi to take care of his son. When Shilpi agreed, he took her into the classroom forcefully and molested by touching her private parts. Once Shilpi burst into tears and also seeing teachers entering the school premises, Lalbabu fled. Later Shilpi narrated the ghastly experience to her school friends viz. Neha Khatun, Hafiza Khatun And Khusbu Khatun and went to the room of Dilip Pramanik, Teacher-in-Charge.

Attitude of Shilpi made Mr. Pramanik smell a rat and due to his insistence, the whole story was narrated to him. Without wasting time, he phoned Bashu Pandit – Councilor of Samuipara of Uluberia Municipality.  Bashu reached the school the school within a few minutes and apprehending intensity of the development, they contacted the local police station of Uluberia. They were called by the police to lodge an official complaint; Mr. Pramanik went there along with Shilpi and her father, Uttam (name changed) living in village: Khalisani (Purbapara), P.S. Uluberia. Meanwhile, the police team entered the school premises and based on accounts of Neha, Hafiza and Khusbu, arrested Mohammad Lalbabu Munshi of age 38 years.

An FIR (620 dated 27/07/2013 under sections 354A IPC) was lodged by Shilpi’s father but Lalbabu Munshi was bailed out on the next day allegedly under pressure from powerful quarter. He has been seen to roam freely in the area and more confidently than before.    

The bail of Lalbabu has shocked Shilpi’s family and hence, at present they are in a trauma almost. Bail has also appalled other guardians in the school, especially of Khusbu, Hafiza and Neha. Guardians are escorting their wards to the school daily sacrificing their own professions.

The bail has created a furor in the neighborhood.

Story of Mohammed Ali Chisti

Mohammed Ali Chisti, earlier Suresh Sahu, a new convert to Islam and resident of Hari Pal Lane, Kolkata – 700 006 has become the center of attention in his neighborhood and it is not only for he is going to organize Hazrat Astana Sharif Urs Mubarak marking the establishment of mazaar in his own residence. The way he propagates Islamic culture in the Hindu neighborhood has vexed his neighbors also and as per them, during the celebration of Urs on each year the demographic character of the area changes highly. Intrusion of truckloads of Muslims from other areas remains the main factor in this context.

According to locals, Suresh Sahu and his wife (originally from Orissa) were party members of CPIM while living in Sodapara or Sankharipara and with that support he entered Hari Pal Lane in 1999. He purchased a residence there and in the initial years, he was found to be congenial. But the situation changed in 2009 due to a police intervention. It was learnt that he deceived bank loans worth Rs. 1.5 crores; following the intervention of administration his residence and bank accounts were confiscated.  Suresh virtually disappeared from the area following the pandemonium.    

Suresh was spotted again in 2012 but with a new identity – as a Muslim individual and with a new name Mohammed Ali Chisti. And to prove his own Muslim identity, he created a mazaar in his residence. However, when he was asked by his neighbors of the reason that prompted him to convert to Islam, he answered quickly that it was the result of his own search for salvation and also that he was instructed by PirBaba of mazaar at Moulali, Sealdah in Kolkata. 

Nowadays, all Islamic festivals are celebrated at this house with splendor even if his wife and children are Hindu still.