Krishanu Mitra
This is called retaliation, the democratic way. Rather the Hindu way. When the so-called intellectuals, the so-called vigilant media, the so-called human rights organisations remain mute spectators to the worst form of Hindu persecution, the orphaned Hindu society resorted to the only option that it has to ensure self-protection. Hindu Unity through Hindu organisation. A glimpse of that was visible at Taldi under Canning PS recently.
Many of the readers can recall that this area was in news during February 13 over attacks on Hindus by a lumpen Muslim mob that came from as far as Rajabazar and Metiaburuz in Kolkata. In the early hours of February 19 this year a mob of some four to five thousand Muslims attacked the village of Naliakhali, Gopalpur, Goladohara etc. shouting ‘Allha o Akbar’ and burnt down over 200 houses belonging to marginalised Hindus of this area mostly belonging to the SC community. As the police stood mute spectators, Hindu houses were first looted, ransacked and then burned down. Petrol bombs were thrown to raise down the pucca houses while the mud (kaccha) houses were set directly on fire. Poultry stocks, farm products were all looted or burnt down.
Surprisingly the local Muslims were advised to mark their respective houses and other properties with ‘786’ mark and the same were not even touched during the carnage. The noteworthy aspect of all this is the total blackout of this incident by the so-called ‘secular’ Bengali media and the notional Bengali ‘Civil Society’.
Having their back to the wall the Hindus of this area did what was the only available option to them ‘Hindu unity through Hindu organisation’. This correspondent found the whole hamlet of Taldi covered with saffron flags. As the convoy of Dr Pravin Togadia entered the Station Road from the State Highway scores of Hindu youths in motorcycles followed him chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’. All along the route thousands of villagers, men, women and children stood on the road side shouting ‘Jai Shri Ram’. As Pravin Bhai reached the venue some 50-60 Bajrang Dal activists cordoned off his route through the ground to the dais. The venue was overflowing with Hindus from Taldi and adjoining areas. The participation of women was something to watch out for. Sangeeta Naskar, a young home maker in her early twenties came walking from her village some 7 kilometers away. Nanibala Ganti, an elderly woman around 80 years came from the village of Mollakhali with her 15 year old grand-daughter all by foot. Minati Naskar came from the riot hit Naliakhali area along with some 800 other women from her and adjoining villages. Over all some 15000 people were present with the ratio of men and women as 50:50.
The main speaker of the day along with Dr Togadia was Swami Pradiptananda Maharaj of Bharat Sevasram Sangh popularly known as Kartik Maharaj. He claimed that, ‘lasting peace can never come till the books and treaties exist that propagate distinction amongst human beings on believer and non-believer line’. He called upon those present to deliberate upon the genesis of hatred and work for its eradication. He asked those affected by rioting and organised Islamic violence to seek legal recourse against the police and the concerned administration over their failure to protect them and arrest the culprits. One of the highlight of the day was a short address made by National level cyclist Smt Chandan Mandal, herself a victim of the Naliakhali Hindu persecution. Chandana’s sports certificates, sports kit, cycling suits and imported cycle were burnt down by the Muslim mob on February 2013. (VSK Kolkata)
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