Atrocities on Hindus at Deganga Riot 2010: Countdown Begins in Bengal

Debabrata Mandal

6^th, 7^th and 8^th September, 2010 are the three black days in the past fifty years long history of West Bengal. Organized Muslim gangs committed Brutal atrocities on Hindu community in these three days over an area adjacent to Deganga, Kartikpur and Beliaghata markets, located at the east of Barasat district town. State administration totally failed to protect the honour and property of the Hindus and Army had to be deployed in this area.

Seventy percent of the Hindu populations of this area are refugees driven out by the Muslims in neighbouring Bangladesh. There is a small locality named Chattal Palli in the west of Deganga police station. The people living here are all came from Chittagong of Bangladesh and they have been celebrating Durga Puja for forty years in this locality. A two acre plot of land separates the place from the nearby highway. Few years back, Muslims built a graveyard illegally at the left side of the plot. The plot, which was occupied by the west Bengal government later, was once owned by Rani Rasmani. There is a 60 ft wide road at the right side of the plot which connects Chattal Palli to the highway and thousands of people who come to see the Durga Puja every year use this road as a passage.

A substantial chunk of local Muslim population of the area wants to raise a wall around the plot to isolate the residents of Chattal Palli, which, If they succeed to do, an unforgivable work like idolatry can be stopped forever in the area and the Hindus can be made refugees again. On 15^th September, 2010, the correspondents of All India Refugee Front noted that more than a thousand Muslims gathered on 6^th September and started digging the plot to build the foundation of the wall bordering the road. When Hindus objected, they called their names with obscene languages and beat one Amal Kar severely. Suddenly Haji Nurul Islam, the MP from Basirhat appeared there with a local Trinamul Congress leader, Ms. Ratna Roychoudhary. After taking note of the complaints from both sides, Haji went to the Deganga police station with some of his cadre. Then after a closed door meeting with the police officers, he headed for the nearby Jamma Masjid and ordered to set up a big permanent mike on the top of the Mosque. It ought to be noted here that before the last election Haji promised to the Muslims that if he won the election he would hand over the controversial plot to the Muslims and set up a permanent mike on the mosque. It ought to be noted too that a case was already filed in Calcutta High Court regarding the controversial plot and high court ruled against installing mike on the above mentioned mosque.

The next manoeuvre of Haji was still shrouded in Mystery. A lot of people complained that he stayed in the police station with Ratna Devi. At nearly 5 PM after the Ifter, about two thousand Muslim hooligans attacked the Hindus with bombs, pistols, spears, swords and acid bulbs. The police was called on, but nobody in the police station bothered to pick up the phone.

The correspondents of Hindu Samhati interviewed more than fifty persons at the market areas of Deganga and Kartikpur and the villages like Kejuridanga and Beliaghata; to name a few, Khokon Choudhary and five others from Chattal Palli, Uttam Saha, Gopal Mondal, Arun Sadukha, Kanailal Gupta, Sajal Sarpuria, Sajal Krishna Das, Kajal Das and many others from Deganga. The shop of Bimal Ghosh in Kartikpur market was completely demolished, but the next shop rented from him by a Muslim was not even touched. The shop named Mahima Bastralaya owned by a Muslim in the market remained unaffected. On 7^th morning RAF was stationed there. In spite of that the situation got worsened. The Hooligans burned four cars worth of one crore rupees in front of RAF personnel. The skeletons of those cars are still left beside the Deganga polica station. A Kali temple in Kartikpur was attacked, the idol of Goddess Kali was broken and the hooligans urinated inside the temple in broad daylight. On 8^th September four houses were burnt at KejuriDanga, just 1 km away from Kartikpur. The owners of those houses were Sudharani Ghosh, Nepal Ghosh, Badal Ghosh and Harendranath Bakshi. All the atrocities were committed at the time when RAF and army were marching on the highway. On the very day at 11 am a police jeep came at the house of Harendra Bakshi. The Muslim hooligans dragged the police constables, started beating them severely and pushed the car into the pond. The eight members of Bakshi family had to run away and seek shelter in a nearby Muslim locality where they were refused. Then a Hindu family in nearby Daspara gave them shelter. Till the time the houses of Bakshi and Ghosh families were completely gutted. The hooligans burnt a house of a Muslim man named Sadat Ali by mistake. Her wife accepted the fact unhesitatingly to the correspondents of Hindu Samhati.

After Kartikpur, our correspondents arrived at Beliaghata. Here the house of Bahccu Karmakar and 12/13 our houses nearby were burnt. Every strong and large gates were broken by hurling bombs. Bahccu Karmakar who runs a successful goldsmith business is the most affected person in terns of money. According to the account of an eyewitness, on 7^th morning, when the mob was pelting stones to the RAF personnel, one Muslim man named Sahabuddin died at the firing of RAF. But the hooligans spread the rumour that Bahccu Karmakar shot the guy dead. The house of Bahccu Karmakar was gutted and his gold shop was looted at this false charge. Only the skeletons of the house are now left. Fortunately Bachccubabu was able to escape with his daughter and wife.

Another victim of the violence was a 75 year old gentleman, Biswanath Ghosh. The hooligans jostled him on his face and beat his son indiscriminately. The ornaments of the women were snatched and all the rooms of their house were burnt. The estimate of their loss is approximately Rs 5 lakh.

Friends, the sequence of events made it clear that the brutal atrocities in these three days are the result of cruel and far-reaching communal game plan against Hindu community. After the communal attack, all the Hindu clubs and organizations held a meeting and a charter was submitted with specific demands of the Hindu people of the area. The police assured us to take action within three days. But even 12 days were passed; police did not fulfill their assurance. The seven members of Hindu Samhati who were held in Dum Dum central jail are still denied bell. Under the circumstances, all Hindus of Deganga unequivocally decided not to celebrate Durga Puja in the entire Deganga block.

We know that a lot of debate will arise for and against this decision. The administration and the leaders irrespective of political colours will put their all effort to break our Hindu unity. Because no political party wants Hindus to be united. but on behalf of the Hindus of Deganga as well as the whole Bengali Hindu society, we need to raise a question, that the way Hindus are increasing being attacked and hounded out day by day, can we be able to celebrate our festivals, can we save the honour of our women, our houses and our business in the foreseeable future? Or do we have to be refugee again in our own country?