KOLKATA HIGH COURT JUDGMENT FOR MAMATA
Why two communities cannot celebrate their respective festival together if the festivals of both the communities fall on the same occasion? Kolkata High Court sternly posed this very pertinent question to Mamata Banerjee, the CM of West Bengal and thereby ordered her government to reverse the decision of postponing the day of immersion of Durga Idols. Very true that it is the duty of the state government to ensure and maintain law and order to create an atmosphere of cordiality rather than drawing a line of divide between communities.
Mumata should have called a meeting with the leaders and organizers of processions of two communities and the state administrative officers to rather draw out respective routes for the Tajiya and Durga processions to the best satisfaction of two communities. Here Mamata was going to do a great mistake of a seeming display of appeasement to a particular community, which any self respective citizen in democracy will find it unconstitutional and discriminatory.
I have seen West Bengal very closely even to the extent of Muslim dominated interiors of District Murshidabad and Malda. I have seen how even in the Muslim dominated pockets they used to wait enthusiastically year long for Durga and Jagadhatri pujas. This enthusiasm is still there but in a bit dissolved state after the demolition of Babri Masjid and with the advent of BJP elements making inroads into West Bengal soil after total elimination during long Congress and CPM rule in the state.
I had a hazy picture of 1964 Jamshedpur riots filtered down my juvenile non-adolescent mind by my parents and relatives that RSS and Bharatiya Jan Sangh (BJS) may also disturb the communal harmony if it enters the state of West Bengal. Later I understood alot about RSS upon maturity the 1979 riots in Jamshedpur again.
The steel city of Jamshedpur in erstwhile Bihar now Jharkhand was made into first modern planned industrial township surrounded by forest by TATA for family businesses linked to the Tata companies with Tata Steel and Tata Motors (formerly TELCO). This dream city of TATA became a land of opportunities for every job seeker. All communities lived with perfect harmony and enjoyed the economic gains, business opportunities, good salary, stable job, company quarters to live, civic amenities like good roads, schools, clubs, parks, play ground, stadia with open space all around, temples, masjids and churches.
Sporadic violence still erupting in the Eastern part of India due to the aftermath of partition started affecting the peace of Jamshedpur. The Hindu refugees could not digest the prosperity of Muslims were instigated by the RSS and Bharatiya Jan Sangh for communal riots of 1964. BJS which made some political gains after independence Jamshedpur riot was a ploy for them to make Jamshedpur a political capital. As a result 1964 riots killed many Muslim workers in their company quarters. Those who escaped death went back to their villages and hometowns. They never returned to their jobs.
The ones opted to stay back shifted to the places in the outskirts of Jamshedpur- Azad Nagar is one of them. The RSS and BJS were still after their blood to file court cases against them for acquiring land for their living. Thus the 1964 violence saw an estimated 2,000 killed in Jamshedpur, Rourkela and erstwhile Calcutta, mostly Muslims.
Again in 1979 Jamshedpur communal riot Eastern Bihar BJS leader Dina Nath Pandey played an important role after winning assembly seat from Jamshedpur in 1977. The fire already ignited in 1964 riot found a receptive audience in Hindus and Muslims. The open tussle started between RSS backed BJS for Hindus and Jamaat-e- Islami for Muslims.
The Sangh parivar started widening her base through Dina Nath Pandey. Muslim families which had their settlements in Sabrinagar and Dimna bastis at the outskirts of Jamshedpur were closer to adivasi area. There had been no reports of conflicts between Muslims and the adivasis. In fact, Muslim bastis were established on lands sold by the adivasis. The Sangh parivar was unable to digest such harmony and attempted to "Hinduise" the adivasis These two bastis provided the spark that put Jamshedpur on fire in 1979. The Sangh parivar created many Hindu temples over the years in these areas and took their trademark stand in 1978 that Ramnavami processions will pass through these Muslim bastis. Tension mounted to its extreme and it was topped up after the arrival of RSS chief Balasaheb Deoras to the town on 1 April. Jamshedpur erupted in violence 10 days later in 1979. The Jitendra Narain Commission of Inquiry was set up to investigate the riots. One thing they took into consideration was the speech given by Deoras in Jamshedpur. They held him and the RSS responsible for creating the climate that led to the communal violence.
I intend to lay bare as to how communal leaders of majority community desperately looked for ways for political gains and played a dirty game to disturb harmony. The heat of partition which was quelled by Mahatma Gandhi allowed to simmer by the RSS and later BJS kept giving political dimension with the combined help of Hindu Mahasabha. Today the same portfolio has been taken up by BJP, Viswa Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal, Shiv Sena and the Hindu clerics. In Jamshedpur no body knew about communal divide. People from all communities came to Jamshedpur-from far and wide as it provided lucrative jobs and business opportunities. It was having a cosmopolitan environment. RSS and BJS which never ever showed up in Indian Independence Movement were restless to make their place in Indian politics after independence by playing the communal card. When India was fighting for freedom the RSS holding the tail of Hindu Mahasabha was still busy with Hindu-Muslim divide. Savarkar asked for clemency from the British as he could not bear the torture as other listed Indian Port Blair Cellular Jail revolutionaries could, Golwankar used abusive words for Gandhi, the RSS was never in favour of Indian revolutionaries, Sardar Patel and Baba Saheb Ambedkar. Today it is out of compulsion the BJP eulogizes Gandhi, Patel and Ambedkar lest rejected by the people. Ideologically the BJP is very weak and petty. Suddenly after independence desh bhakti and love for motherland has aroused in them to particularly aim at fanning communal divide. They are responsible for this communal ire. They never tried to deal with anti social, anti national issues through constitutional rule book. Their ideology is to dictate what to eat and what not to eat; to prove desh bhakti one must chant vande mataram which they never recited in pre-independence RSS sakha.
Now it is time to watch as to what the BJP is up to in Kerala where perfect communal harmony exist so far.
BJP is trying to increase her base in West Bengal and is there in Goa now also in Haryana and Assam. Fighting for legal action against those guilty of anti national activities and criminal offence is always appreciable than taking and associating with communal angle and thereby blame the entire community. Hence we also expected a reasonable level of prudence from Mamata Banerjee to deal with the issue of processions. There are ways to resolve the issue to find out a workable solution through meetings and discussions to frustrate the communal forces than harbouring fear of mischief from such forces. Today if Mamata is blamed for her action as appeasement of minority she will have to take it even if she did not mean it. The hot seat of administration demands extra skill for dealing with the severest odds - that too very very successfully and to the satisfaction of all.
Mumata should have called a meeting with the leaders and organizers of processions of two communities and the state administrative officers to rather draw out respective routes for the Tajiya and Durga processions to the best satisfaction of two communities. Here Mamata was going to do a great mistake of a seeming display of appeasement to a particular community, which any self respective citizen in democracy will find it unconstitutional and discriminatory.
I have seen West Bengal very closely even to the extent of Muslim dominated interiors of District Murshidabad and Malda. I have seen how even in the Muslim dominated pockets they used to wait enthusiastically year long for Durga and Jagadhatri pujas. This enthusiasm is still there but in a bit dissolved state after the demolition of Babri Masjid and with the advent of BJP elements making inroads into West Bengal soil after total elimination during long Congress and CPM rule in the state.
I had a hazy picture of 1964 Jamshedpur riots filtered down my juvenile non-adolescent mind by my parents and relatives that RSS and Bharatiya Jan Sangh (BJS) may also disturb the communal harmony if it enters the state of West Bengal. Later I understood alot about RSS upon maturity the 1979 riots in Jamshedpur again.
The steel city of Jamshedpur in erstwhile Bihar now Jharkhand was made into first modern planned industrial township surrounded by forest by TATA for family businesses linked to the Tata companies with Tata Steel and Tata Motors (formerly TELCO). This dream city of TATA became a land of opportunities for every job seeker. All communities lived with perfect harmony and enjoyed the economic gains, business opportunities, good salary, stable job, company quarters to live, civic amenities like good roads, schools, clubs, parks, play ground, stadia with open space all around, temples, masjids and churches.
Sporadic violence still erupting in the Eastern part of India due to the aftermath of partition started affecting the peace of Jamshedpur. The Hindu refugees could not digest the prosperity of Muslims were instigated by the RSS and Bharatiya Jan Sangh for communal riots of 1964. BJS which made some political gains after independence Jamshedpur riot was a ploy for them to make Jamshedpur a political capital. As a result 1964 riots killed many Muslim workers in their company quarters. Those who escaped death went back to their villages and hometowns. They never returned to their jobs.
The ones opted to stay back shifted to the places in the outskirts of Jamshedpur- Azad Nagar is one of them. The RSS and BJS were still after their blood to file court cases against them for acquiring land for their living. Thus the 1964 violence saw an estimated 2,000 killed in Jamshedpur, Rourkela and erstwhile Calcutta, mostly Muslims.
Again in 1979 Jamshedpur communal riot Eastern Bihar BJS leader Dina Nath Pandey played an important role after winning assembly seat from Jamshedpur in 1977. The fire already ignited in 1964 riot found a receptive audience in Hindus and Muslims. The open tussle started between RSS backed BJS for Hindus and Jamaat-e- Islami for Muslims.
The Sangh parivar started widening her base through Dina Nath Pandey. Muslim families which had their settlements in Sabrinagar and Dimna bastis at the outskirts of Jamshedpur were closer to adivasi area. There had been no reports of conflicts between Muslims and the adivasis. In fact, Muslim bastis were established on lands sold by the adivasis. The Sangh parivar was unable to digest such harmony and attempted to "Hinduise" the adivasis These two bastis provided the spark that put Jamshedpur on fire in 1979. The Sangh parivar created many Hindu temples over the years in these areas and took their trademark stand in 1978 that Ramnavami processions will pass through these Muslim bastis. Tension mounted to its extreme and it was topped up after the arrival of RSS chief Balasaheb Deoras to the town on 1 April. Jamshedpur erupted in violence 10 days later in 1979. The Jitendra Narain Commission of Inquiry was set up to investigate the riots. One thing they took into consideration was the speech given by Deoras in Jamshedpur. They held him and the RSS responsible for creating the climate that led to the communal violence.
I intend to lay bare as to how communal leaders of majority community desperately looked for ways for political gains and played a dirty game to disturb harmony. The heat of partition which was quelled by Mahatma Gandhi allowed to simmer by the RSS and later BJS kept giving political dimension with the combined help of Hindu Mahasabha. Today the same portfolio has been taken up by BJP, Viswa Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal, Shiv Sena and the Hindu clerics. In Jamshedpur no body knew about communal divide. People from all communities came to Jamshedpur-from far and wide as it provided lucrative jobs and business opportunities. It was having a cosmopolitan environment. RSS and BJS which never ever showed up in Indian Independence Movement were restless to make their place in Indian politics after independence by playing the communal card. When India was fighting for freedom the RSS holding the tail of Hindu Mahasabha was still busy with Hindu-Muslim divide. Savarkar asked for clemency from the British as he could not bear the torture as other listed Indian Port Blair Cellular Jail revolutionaries could, Golwankar used abusive words for Gandhi, the RSS was never in favour of Indian revolutionaries, Sardar Patel and Baba Saheb Ambedkar. Today it is out of compulsion the BJP eulogizes Gandhi, Patel and Ambedkar lest rejected by the people. Ideologically the BJP is very weak and petty. Suddenly after independence desh bhakti and love for motherland has aroused in them to particularly aim at fanning communal divide. They are responsible for this communal ire. They never tried to deal with anti social, anti national issues through constitutional rule book. Their ideology is to dictate what to eat and what not to eat; to prove desh bhakti one must chant vande mataram which they never recited in pre-independence RSS sakha.
Now it is time to watch as to what the BJP is up to in Kerala where perfect communal harmony exist so far.
BJP is trying to increase her base in West Bengal and is there in Goa now also in Haryana and Assam. Fighting for legal action against those guilty of anti national activities and criminal offence is always appreciable than taking and associating with communal angle and thereby blame the entire community. Hence we also expected a reasonable level of prudence from Mamata Banerjee to deal with the issue of processions. There are ways to resolve the issue to find out a workable solution through meetings and discussions to frustrate the communal forces than harbouring fear of mischief from such forces. Today if Mamata is blamed for her action as appeasement of minority she will have to take it even if she did not mean it. The hot seat of administration demands extra skill for dealing with the severest odds - that too very very successfully and to the satisfaction of all.
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