Walling Muslim cemetery fails to assure Hindus in Deganga

Will Hindus there have to boycott coming Durga Puja too?

Will Hindus in Deganga, hotpot and also mainstay of anti-Hindu terror activities, become safe finally? This single yet highly momentous question, at the moment, is haunting the area and its environs, located in P.S. Deganga, Dist. 24 paraganas (North), Indian state of Bengal, area that witnessed grievous anti-Hindu assaults, under aegis of Islamic fundamentalists, last year. The differences over the disputed land (reported in HS blog at times already) led to Islamic outrage and finally heinous assaults on Hindus. Local administration has walled the Muslim cemetery in hope of betterment but Hindu woes, owing to newer developments, are far from over.

Without doubt, there was a need to lessen Hindu-Muslim differences in the neighborhood, increasing ever more. And walling of the Muslim burial ground has been done to denote administration’s wisest intention to call all disturbances a halt.

To bring this to the final point, 2 members of each of Chattal Palli Samiti (namely Paritosh Ghosh and Babul De) and KabarsthanCommittee (Rahim Maulana and akir Mallik) were called to the local SDO office on 23/07/11. In the meeting all concerned dignitaries like SDO, SDPO, BDO were present. Among others present there included local Officer-in-Charge (O.C.) and panchayat president. The meeting was presided by both SDO, Prabal Kumar Maity and SDPO, Mehboob Akhtar, and it was annunciated there that the administration had already taken the decision to wall the aforementioned Kabarsthan (cemetery) leaving 16 ft. way (bone of contention) for public usage.

Representatives of each group were informed on 25/07/11 that construction of wall would take place on 26/07/11 from 6 am.

Nevertheless, members of Kabarsthan Committee present there raised objections stating their legitimate demands of additional land. As per them, since there is a need to demarcate between cemetery and the adjoining land, owned by Asutosh Ghosh, cemetery’s total area has to be extended, indicating (wordlessly) that 16 ft. way destined for public usage may be wiped out by the next virulent Muslim campaigns. According to members,Kabarsthan Committee owns 5 ft. land, at least, in the adjoining land.

The administration, at this time, proved to be steadfast and declared formally any land worth 5 or 6 ft. would be added to the existing 16 ft. path (meant for public use) only. Finding no other option Muslims members gave in.

Hindus’ demand to have a part of land to hold fairs occurring at every year’s Durga Puja still continues. It is to be noted, fencing around the cemetery engulfs the land which Hindus have been using for decades to hold Puja fairs. To deal with Hindu demands, local administration announced earlier that it would purchase the adjacent land, under possession of Asutosh Ghosh.

Meanwhile, Asutosh Ghosh has sent his consent letter to the administration stating his willingness to sell off the entire land worth 9 and a-half bigha but not any particular portion. In accordance with the administration, this process is in full swing. It has also been learnt that DM, 24 Paraganas (North) has already asked PWD to prepare its land by the side of thoroughfare for the upcoming Puja fair.

On the fateful day (26/07/11) no less than 300 laborers were employed, under the guidance of a huge police force, led by O.C. s of 8 adjoining police stations. The wall was completed on a single day barring a small portion.

But the episode doesn’t end here thanks to fast changing Muslim attitudes. A chunk of them have started to state that the said 5 ft. of land can’t be sacrificed ever and this tract belongs to them exclusively.

With this end in view, almost 200 Muslims went to P.S. Deganga, on 25/07/11 in evening, to stage this demand of them to the administration. Nonetheless, they were not allowed to enter the police station and this has fuelled their anger.

Hindus are terming this as indication of a more ominous development (still to come) and are in fear that the Islamic outrage of last year may befall in this year too. Will friend-turned-foe-turned-friend administration act positively this year?

Or whether Hindus will have to boycott coming Durga Puja like the preceding one?

(Newly Constructed Wall)

(Whole wall at a glance)

(Police Camp inside Chattal Samiti Puja premises)

(View of the wall from main road)

(Wall and 16 ft. way)

(Gate of wall yet to be constructed)

(Bamboos fencing the wall beside thoroughfare)

(Asutosh Ghosh's land)

(A particular portion of wall)

(Chattal Samiti Temple)