Durga Puja Boycotted in Deganga --- WHY?

Why Are Bengalis Unable to Perform Durga Puja Festival?

Starting Monday, 6th September, 2010, Hindus have suffered relentless persecution with regards to accessing the road leading to Chattal co-operative society temple in Deganga. Hindu temples, homes as well as shops owned by Hindus were ransacked. Directly lead by Member of Parliament, Mr. Haji Nurul Islam, several Hindu Deities were broken, treasury box looted and the temple desecrated in many ways. Taking advantage of the prevailing situation, the miscreants illegally put up a loudspeaker over Deganga mosque on the 6th of September. Households owned by Hindus were selected and put of fire in addition to abusing individual women of the same homes. Fearing for their lives, residents from approximately 8 villages started to flee. Taking advantage of the failure of local administration, local Muslims partook into this persecution while the police and paramilitary forces stood like wooden dolls. Realizing well that law enforcement agencies the police do not have permission to lathi-charge during the holy month of Ramzan, the Muslims engaged in uncontrolled violence. Finding an opportunity, the mob even brutalized some members of the police. Fear prevailed among the local Hindu community after these cases of temple desecration, destruction of shops and household and they have completely lost faith in the district administration.

Given this situation, members of various clubs in Deganga block got together in a meeting and unanimously resolved to present a list of demands on behalf of the Hindus to the police offers of Deganga police station. Subsequently, the list of demands was presented to the police and they asked for 3 days to resolve the issue. However, even after the passage of 10-12 days, the administration did not fulfill their assurance. Left with no other alternatives, residents of Deganga block have decided to stop all Durga festivities in the area.

We are well aware that many will argue for and against this decision. Various explanations will be put forward that stopping the Durga puja will encourage the anti-Hindu elements, or that the Hindu women and children will be denied the opportunity to enjoy the Puja festivities. The administration and various political brothers and sisters will make all attempts to break this unity because none of the groups want the Hindus to become united.

Given the unfolding situation where Hindus are coming under attack day after day, will the Hindus will be able to perform festivals in the future? Will we be able to uphold the honour of the women, protect our hard-earned property and home? Unless we are united even now? We believe that the recent attack on the Hindus of Chattal Pally as an attack on the entire Hindu society. Hence by stopping the Durga festival we exhibit the unity among the Hindu society and request the administration as well as the pseudo-secular parties to restrain themselves from engaging in playing around with the sentiments of the Hindu society. The Hindus society knows how to get united and protest in unison.

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We petitioned the local administration with the following demands :-

1. Arrest of all the criminals and subsequent prosecution under appropriate penal charges.

2. Appropriate compensation be given to all the victims immediately.

3. The loudspeaker must be brought down from the Deganga mosque and appropriate steps be taken to ensure that the same is not put back in the future.

4. False charges of firing bullets pressed against/by Bacchu Karmakar of Beliaghata are withdrawn.

5. The 60 feet path leading to the temple of Chattal Pally that has been used for over 50 years must not be dug.

6. In three days from 6th September, 2010 to 8th September, 2010 the miscreants engaged in looting, property destruction, beating innocent Hindus, arson, desecration of Deites as well as ravishing the honour of women belonging to several villages of Deganga in broad daylight. The police kept saying that they are not authorized to lathi-charge on the Muslims during the month of Ramzan. The administration must clearly disclose under whose orders the police could not even lathi-charge the miscreants and proper penal action must be initiated against them.

The above is a translation of the flier (Degangay Bangalir Mahotsab DurgaPuja Bondho Keno ?) created by the Deganga Puja Samanvay Committee before Durga Puja 2010. It can be accessed at :

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http://www.hindusamhati.org/deganga_puja_boycott.pdf