The Lessons from Deganga

Prasun Maitra

The innocent Hindus of Deganga witnessed the barbaric face of Muslim fundamentalism. The so called ‘religion of peace’ revealed its true face there and the administration failed to provide any protection to Hindus and preferred to bow down in front of Islamic terror.

The most of the people of Deganga had migrated from Muslim dominated East Bengal to Hindu dominated India leaving behind their paternal property there in order to save their cultural dignity which was under tremendous threat in East Bengal. They preferred to live a refugee’s life in India rather to sacrifice their ethnicity while living in an Islamic country. They presumed that in this secular country, they would be protected and the State would ensure that their right of performing religious ceremonies was not violated. Even in the worst dream, they could hardly see that their cultural identity, for which they were forced to leave their paternal property, is also under tremendous threat even in this Hindu dominated country.

On 6^th September, 2010 Hindus were made realized that Deganga is no better than East Bengal where their ethnicity was under threat. It started when they were preparing to build a pandal (temporary structure) for ensuing Durga Puja on a land which was a devottar (dedicated to God) property for decades. The local Muslims objected to the construction as idol worshipping is prohibited in Islam. Innocent Hindus failed to realize how on a secular country they could be barred to perform their most cherished religious ceremony! They approached the local police station. Alas, they did not realize that during the 34 years regime of C.P.I.(M), the police has become so spineless that they don’t even change their inner wears without the order of the local party office. So, it was inevitable that police held their hands up and advised the Hindus to co-operate with Muslims to maintain communal harmony in the locality.

Once assured that administration would not do anything against Muslims, the local Trina Mool Congress MP, Hazi Nurul Islam took the great burden of educating the kaffirs on his shoulder and along with the local Muslims started Islamic vandalism. Hindus were beaten, women were molested, shops owned by Hindus were looted, their houses were set on fire and all this happened in front of police who refused to initiate any action against the miscreants to restore peace as it was a Ramzaan month. Hindus went from pillar to post but nothing happened. At last, the helpless Hindus were left with no choice but to run away to save their lives leaving behind their unsecured property and land. And this is what the Muslims wanted. So, they increased the intensity of their attack. The whole Deganga would become void of Hindus had that barbarism were let to continue for a few more hours. But the members of the Hindu Samhati were very prompt to read the game plan of the Muslims and in no time they started an awareness campaign all over the world through internet describing the atrocities on Hindus in Deganga and administrative inaction to restore normalcy. Members of the Hindu Samhati, led by its President Shri Tapan Kumar Ghosh, created huge pressure on the administration for ensuring protection for Hindus. Hindus all over the world also extended their support and expressed their solidarity with the Hindus in Deganga. Finally, the administration had to bow down to the enormous pressure and decided to deploy military in Deganga and the situation was somewhat brought under control.

The incident at Deganga is a clear proof of Muslim aggressiveness and fanaticism. History says that once a portion of India has become Muslim dominated, it demanded separate land for them. With more than 70% Muslim population, Deganga can not be an exception. And the single factor let this kind of audacious attitude grow in Muslims is the appeasement by both C.P.I (M) and T.M.C. Once, a Rizwanur commits a suicide due to his personal reasons, Mamata Banerjee goes to Espalanade to lit a candle accompanied by her bunch of sycophants but in Deganga, where a preplanned ethnic cleansing is at full force, she never passes any comment criticizing that. In Canning, after a clash between two groups of Muslims, she sends her emissary, and that too of the status of the Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly, to enquire about the condition of Khadija Bibi or Rabeya Bibi but Mamata didn’t utter a single word against Muslims when they broke down the temple of Pagla Baba at Haringhata, Nadia. Even media and intellectuals are also not spared by this politics of appeasement. To ensure that the attacks by Muslims on Hindus in Deganga does not get a wide publicity, all the vernacular media voluntarily imposed censorship on them.

In order to protest the appeasement of Muslims in the name of secularism, the entire Hindus of Deganga block has unanimously decided not to celebrate Durga Puja in the whole Deganga block. The shameless administration is least bothered to realize how pathetic and disheartening it was for Hindus to decide not to celebrate their greatest festival, their only aim is to save their face so that nobody from outside can see their appeasement of Muslims. To unsettle the decision of the Hindu community, local police, administration and political parties have come together. At first, they threatened Hindus and later approached with folded hands to ensure the Puja is celebrated. But Hindus had already had their back on the wall. So, they refused to organize puja until punitive action is taken against the perpetrators, including local TMC Member of Parliament Hazi Nurul Islam, of the 6^th September and administration commits upon the safety & security of Hindus and their property even after passing of Durga Puja. The point is to be noted that though the said MP is from the opposition side, the Ruling party is unable to initiate any criminal action against him only because he belongs to Muslim community.

My friend, don’t you think that today in West Bengal we are living at the mercy of Muslims? Is it what is called secularism? Have we become so weak that we will allow political parties to use ourselves for the sake of their political gains? Our houses will be looted, women will be molested, our culture will be dishonored and still we will not utter a single word against the miscreants only to establish our so called secular nature? Sorry friend, I am not that much generous. Remember, Deganga is not an exception. It’s a sequence of Dhantala, Beldanga, Sandeshkhali..where Muslim aggressiveness had already shown its teeth & nail. If you still prefer to live in a utopia of Hindu-Muslim harmony, tomorrow all the villages of West Bengal will become a Deganga. So, wake up and resist the evil. Today, a fire has been set on your neighbor house, if you stay reluctant and don’t try to control the fire tomorrow it’ll lead to your house and then you will be left out with no neighbor to assist you to control the fire.