Madhyamik examinee molested in Bardhaman

Muslim youths identified as culprits, arrested :

Crimes against women are rising fast in Bengal and while the civilian society here is up in arms against the administration, both the state government and police are found either to pass over the issue or remain busy to justify their activity and pin the blame on the political parties in opposition. Myriad instances are there to prove how the first woman chief minister of the state, instead of accepting government’s fault to curb this burgeoning and endeavoring to rectify, has tried to paint this worst saga in the color of a political conspiracy.  Now adding to the woes of government, a Madhyamik (centralized secondary examination held under the aegis of West Bengal Board of Secondary Education every year) examinee, while she was going to her examination center along with her mother, was molested midway by a few youths. They tried to kidnap her also. The grisly incident took place at Subhaspalli in the district city of Bardhaman on February 25 in broad daylight. When the daughter’s mother tried to save her daughter, she was thrashed as well outraging the entire town.  One of the molesters was arrested thanks to one eyewitness and two others were detained when they tried to threaten the same witness of dire consequences.

It has been learnt from locals, Rukmini (name changed), the examinee, was going to Vidyarthi Girls’ School or the examination center with her mother. While they were midway, a few youths including Sheikh Kayem, Sheikh Raja, Saddam Hussain, Sheikh Bittu and Kanai Mirza surfaced there all of a sudden and tried to whisk the girl student away forcefully. Her mother tried to resist them but she was overpowered soon. They also tore her saree out of disgust.  Finding no other option to save her daughter from the attackers, she raised an alarm. A few people rushed to the crossing at Subhaspalli, they were joined by a few policemen, deployed to maintain security in the area and all these made youths flee. Later on, local administration sent both mother and daughter to the center of examination in a police jeep.

Meanwhile, Sheikh Bittu, one of several assailants, was witnessed to ramble in the area and just then, based on the account of a witness, he was taken into custody. Almost an hour later, two unknown youths appeared at Subhaspalli and warned the eyewitness of dire consequences for identifying Sheikh Bittu. Police got hold of them, once informed, and one of them was identified as Sheikh Raja, examinee of Higher Secondary Examination in this year.  Another person named Sheikh Rafique was also arrested later. However, locals know him as Sheikh Kayem. While talking to Mohammed Hossain Mirza, Superintendent of Police in Bardhaman, it was learnt that the victim girl student was going strong. Kanai Mirza is known as a vigorous Trinamool Congress activist in the locality but now, he is on the run.  

Rukimin’s mother has stated that all these youths had been harassing her daughter for months but it stopped due to intervention of local people.

Without doubt, the ghastly event has revealed the bankruptcy of present governance in Bengal once more.

Heartrending tale of a Bengali Hindu couple

This is no fiction but a cruel reality being faced by Bengali Hindus in the Indian subcontinent. A community whose contribution to the national freedom struggle was next to none has been ravaged by now in every capacity, thanks to the partition in1947 and the community continues to pay for this monumental blunder dearly yet, something beyond the capacity of anyone to envisage even. The story revolves around Shimul Mallik, inhabiting the area of Mogra Adishaptapur in the district of North 24 Paraganas in the Indian state of Bengal and Mousumi Sarkar, living in the area of Ashasuni Sardapara in Bangladesh. Both were introduced to each other when Shimul visited Bangladesh a few years back and the brief introduction turned into a love affair. They used to communicate through phone and only a few days back, they decided to tie the knot.    

Even if Mousumi informed her parents and also relatives, they declined to give permission and this refusal made the girl more determined and defying all she decided to marry Shimul Mallik. To stave off any obstacle, they decided to get married at a place close to the international border between India and Bangladesh. As Shimul’s residence is far away from the international border, he planned to arrange the marriage ceremony on February 24 at his relative’s residence in the village of Itinda at the Ghojadanga border area within Basirhat, well-known subdivision of the district of North 24 Paraganas. Mousumi was also informed and she, as a result, came to India on Monday without the knowledge of his parents.

While the marriage ceremony was going on and the priest was chanting Vedic mantras, a team from the police station of Basihat raided the residence and asked Mousumi Sarkar to show passport. But Mousumi was devoid of any passport and hence, she was taken into custody. Shimul Mallik was also arrested as an accomplice to this intrusion.  Both are behind the bar at the moment and despite repeated requests of inhabitants in the village of Itinda, police abided by the established rules in this regard. Thus ended the dream of a Bengali Hindu couple to get married and lead a peaceful life.

Without a shred of doubt, the activity of Mousumi Sarkar can’t be supported and the intrusion violates the international law as enshrined. Nevertheless, there is another aspect as well. Not a day passes when there is no illegal migration from Bangladesh to India and Basirhat has already become infamous as the safe passage for cow smugglers. But none of these criminals have been arrested yet albeit this trade is culpable to harm people in the vicinity and clashes between villagers and smugglers, in this regard, is getting common more and more.  What did make police so dutiful and also vibrant in this case? It has been learnt, police team was tipped off by persons related to smuggling cows and also to remain loyal to local administration.

Who can Shimul and Mousumi pin the blame on now? Is it their ill-luck or the cow smugglers leaving no chance ever to blame Hindus? Or the India-Bangladesh international border known for laying waste to Bengali Hindu families for decades? Both the couple and locals in Itinda are seeking the answer, now. 

Rezzaq Mollah – father of Islamic fundamentalism in Canning, South 24 Paraganas

                                              COMMUNIST BUSTARD

While on one hand his own party or CPIM could not digest his latest avatar and had a sigh of relief through his formal expulsion, on the other hand, his former disciple has maligned him in public and also termed him as the progenitor of burgeoning culture of violence at varied areas in the district of South 24 Paragnas and on the word of local Hindus, he had been the greatest inspiration for Islamic fundamentalism camouflaged under the cloak of universal brotherhood. Such is the wretched fate of Rezzaq Mollah at the moment who was seen of late as messiah of the novel notion of Dalit-Muslim axis in Bengal through his own “Social Justice Forum.” But he is a political outcast just now making pundits get skeptical of his political future. However, he is not spared still and sayings of Shaukat Mollah, his one-time disciple and existing president of Trinamool Congress Canning-II Panchayat Committee and also the chairman of East Assembly Constituency, of him are indeed vitriolic. Nevertheless, Hindus know him better as the main thrust behind escalating persecutions on them by radical Muslims.

 

According to Shaukat Mollah, Rezzaq Mollah was culpable behind the onset of culture of violence to retain his own suzerainty in Canning. He, to fulfill his own aspirations, built up a private army; youths were invited cordially to join the army and Rezzaq used to supply arms and ammunitions in large numbers and thanks to all these, his aggressive cadres have become branded anti-socials by now and are despised by their family members even. Shaukat Mollah did not end here and went on saying that Rezzaq Mollah had hardly followed any ideals in his political career and in spite of being the undisputed leader in the area, his performance has always been dismal. It is worth to mention, Rezzaq became MLA of the Canning East Assembly Constituency for nine times but locals avow that he has not even tried to better conditions in the environs, let alone Muslims and Dalits. Only violence has marked his career.

In accordance with Shaukat Mollah, there was no college in the area for years while among 9 panchayats, areas including Deuli-1, Atharobanki and Tambuldaha-1 never witnessed any high school. These three panchayats have three junior schools only and hence, after Class VIII students have no way except to drop. Incidentally, Shaukat Mollah, as per his own version, joined CPIM through its youth front and during those years, other than intra clashes in the party no work for development took place. Before any election, Rezzaq Mollah supplied his own cadres with lethal weapons to help CPIM win and make him retain his own fiefdom.

What has been left out by Shaukat Mollah is that the years following 1977 or the year of Left Front’s accession to power have perceived mounting persecutions on Hindus, be it caste or Dalit. Especially, during the days of Marichjhanpi massacre on January 31, 1979, Hindu families in throngs took refuge in Canning and became victims to Rezzaq Mollah’s whims and actions. Slowly but steadily, Hindu started losing their ground in the area and this trend has been continuing till date. The influx of Muslim infiltrators from Bangladesh has aggravated the situation altogether and all these have occurred under the sway of Rezzaq Mollah. 

WEST BENGAL'S BENGALIS ARE SLAVE TO MUSLIMS -ISN'T IT?

Dhola in 24 Paraganas (South) – hotspot of recurrent Hindu persecution 

On February 17, 2014, at 12.30 am, Kripasindhu Purakait (age 34) and his wife, Sadhana Purakait (age 30), living in the village of Harishpur within the jurisdiction of the police station of Dhola in the district of 24 Paraganas (South) were attacked by a band of robbers. It has been learnt from their account, each criminal in the team was Muslim by religion and having lethal weapons including swords. They barged into the residence all of a sudden and while one of them injured Kripasindhu Purakait by a sword, two others thrashed Sadhana extremely. What took place next was nothing save for a plunder; all materials in the household, let alone money and jewelries, were looted and now the condition is such that they have to seek glasses from neighbors to drink water. Prior to escape, Sadhana was tied with her own saree to prevent her from raising any alarm. Locals apprehend that Sadhana became victim to a brutal molestation as well. Even if a police complaint has been filed to the local police station against this nefarious incident, villagers are found to express their lack of confidence on police in this regard.  

What makes villagers lose confidence on local administration?  If truth be told, lots of similar harrowing accounts can be narrated. Only a couple of weeks back, two Hindu housewives named Mitali Halder (name changed) and Sandhya Mandal (name changed) were kidnapped and raped by a group of Islamists. However, none has been arrested yet even if an FIR was filed then. Police, as per locals, seem to be indisposed to find out culprits and take them into custody. It has to be mentioned that the village contains only 7 Hindu families and hence, their position is at stake.

And this is also no new development as territories within Dhola police station’s jurisdiction are known for Hindu persecution. On May 15, 2012, at 9.30 pm, Gaffar Zamadar, age 28, an Islamist residing in the neighboring village of Koutala, was caught red-handed while trying to enter the residence of a Hindu individual, Sri Govinda Banik, living in village of Bhasna, to rob the entire family of all their belongings. Hindus, en masse, after getting hold of him, thrashed him highly and Gaffar got unconscious. He was taken to Kupi Hospital and he was declared dead soon.   

The development created strong reactions among Islamists inhabiting the environs and as a mark of protest, they were perceived to gherao the police station and also block the thoroughfare. What is most striking, Islamists were found to chant wild slogans focusing on the need of vengeance against Hindus openly (this took place before police openly) and termed Gaffar Zamadar as an “Imam bhai” and no thief. 

Hindus were warned by Islamists of dire consequences in public. They depended on police and administration initially but owing to apparent disinclinations of administration, Hindus could not muster the courage to remain in their own dwellings any more. Hindus fled to neighboring areas for weeks while a few people, having no place to take refuge, were guarding their residences desperately. An FIR had also been submitted terming 61Hindus as accomplice in the death of Gaffar. Hindus returned later on but they have lost all confidence on police by now.

 

CPIM stoops to earn Muslim support in Bengal

  CPIM stoops to earn Muslim support in Bengal

 

Will total surrender invigorate the party?

When an election, be it municipal or assembly or the Lok Sabha, in India is round the corner, political parties vie with each other to earn confidence of minority communities, in particular Muslims, scattered across the country. This has been the most sinewy, prankish trend ever since 1947 and true to form, there is no exception at this time too and almost all of them have joined the foray against Hindus with their own manifestos containing copious pledges to placate the Muslim community and certainly not any other minority group. The tirade has already initiated and the mantle, as usual, is with CPIM detesting to miss a single opportunity to act as messiah of Muslims. Whether the party is considered thus by the same community or is exploited for mere benefits is another issue but partisanship of the Left party to them is never-ending. Myriad instances can be cited to testify. Left political manifesto for Lok Sabha election, 2014 has been designed exclusively to earn maximum confidence of Muslims and as per fresh reports, the manifesto is generous once more. While on one hand ample assurances to expend more in minority education and health benefits can make a secular Leftist emotional, pledge to foil harassments of Muslim youths as terrorists can boost a human rights activist again. The party has also decided to appoint more Muslim candidates this time. Well, conventional Left issues like need to decentralize power along with escalating oppression of women are also included in the manifesto.

However, CPIM is not certain still and to have the largest share of Muslim votes in Bengal, the party has contacted Party for Democratic Socialism of Saifuddin Chowdhury, its one-time comrade, to its carriage of mission of Lok Sabha, 2014. And the one-time rebel but trusted comrade now has also reciprocated gratifying CPM taskmasters at Alimuddin Street lots by stating “We have agreed to fight a joint battle as communal forces like the BJP are raising their heads again” to the press and media. What makes the party so desperate? According to party’s analysis, the Muslim community corresponds to 30 per cent of population in Bengal and omnipotent Left Front was uprooted by the Mamata tsunami in 2011 thanks to this support. The party is confident that the majority of Muslims changed their loyalty to Mamata leading to its debacle then. This may propel a sane citizen to ask CPIM – what’s of Abdur Rezzak Mollah then? The party, even if it gloated with his expulsion a few days back, prefers to be tightlipped now.      

To have the blessing of Muslims, therefore, CPIM is all set to field 10 Muslim candidates from Bengal as a minimum in the Lok Sabha, 2014 election and if truth be told, this is likely to be the biggest number of tickets given to Muslim candidates in the ensuing election. What will be the role of Saifuddin Chowdhury then? Will he be in the role Aladdin for of CPIM?  Confidence of the party on his role came forth through CPIM leaders’ press statements. While Anisur Rahaman, CPM MLA and also state committee member, was found to say "There is no doubt that Chowdhury will be able to help us regain Muslim votes," Moinul Hassan, another member of CPIM state committee said in clear terms, "Chowdhury's decision to support Left candidates will not only help us regain our lost ground in West Bengal but also help the entire Left force to garner support from the minority communities." After all, Muslim votes under pseudonym of minority votes matter to CPIM most.

JAGO BENGALI JAGO -BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE!

Radical Muslims take over Bhriguram Halder’s land in Raidighi, South 24 Paraganas:

 

What Bhriguram Halder never dreamt even has turned into a reality. He lives in the village of Bhadrapara within the jurisdiction of Raidighi police station and also the Panchayat of Radhakantapur in the district of 24 Paraganas (South).  It has been learnt, he is no new entrant there and his family has been living there for decades. Let’s get into the real story then. Bhriguram Halder also owns a land of 2 bigha including his own residence and he had sold 5 cottahs of it (adjacent to the metal road in the village) to a person a few months back. He had also been paid a certain amount of money as advance. But the lot changed abruptly on March 3 at 10.30 pm when a group of Muslim troublemakers occupied the sold land forcefully and built up a fence on it. Once Bhriguram heard this ominous development he rushed to the spot and literally pleaded to the criminals to pardon him. But it was of no avail. The fence was not taken away. Troublemakers left the spot only after threatening him of dire consequences and they even told him that any effort to retrieve the land would be fatal for him.  He was also cautioned of any approach to contact the local police station.

For the next two days, Bhriguram Halder ran from pillar to post seeking justice but all including political parties refused to help him. Local political parties including both Trinamool Congress and CPIM asked him to stop thinking about this incident. Having no option, Bhriguram asked Hindu youths in the areas helplessly. Local youths of Hindu Samhati were also informed and to put an end to such a grave injustice, they rooted the fence out on March 5 at 11 am and asked Bhriguram to live in his own territory fearlessly. But this ecstasy was short-lived as Islamists attacked them with lethal weapons within a few minutes and bombs were hurled at them. The attack was nothing save for a rude shock for local Hindus as none had the idea that felons would dare to violate law and order also. Bhriguram Halder decided to contact the local police station at the cost of his life even.

To keep escalating violence and also the tension in check, police officials summoned a meeting at the police station on March 5, 2014 in the night where Bhriguram Halder was asked harshly to surrender the land worth 4 cottahs to the gang of Muslim troublemakers. The diktat proved enough to blow Bhriguram out of the water. And as per local police officials, all were done to preserve tranquility in the environs! Bhriguram has no other option except to abide by the police’s command. Today on March 6 in the morning, Bhriguram’s wife went to the field to nurture the land but was not allowed to go on with the job. It has come to knowledge, local agents of above-mentioned Muslim perpetrators warned her not to enter the land till her husband surrenders it.

Bhriguram Halder is ill fated now and doesn’t know what to do. He wants to have a simple answer from all. Is he a criminal for being a Hindu in Bengal?

 

JAGO HINDU JAGO

No respite for Hindus in Bangladesh; Brutal attacks a norm now

 Myriad accounts on Hindu persecution in Bangladesh have already been published. Even so, there will never be any end to this too since brutality on Hindus there is a settled fact and will go on till the last Hindu remains. No matter what are the diatribe of Sheikh Hasina and lip service Khaleda Zia
 against fanatic and radical Muslims, Hindus are being persecuted and this brutal tradition has been going on ever since 1947.  On February 25, Islamic miscreants (yet to be taken into custody by local police station) defiled and destroyed Holy Deities in the temple worshipped by local Hindu community and the atrocity took place in Bathania Chala within the sub district of Kaliakoir in the district of Gazipur. On the word of Dilip Kumar, member of Sarbojanin (public) Temple Committee, all deities in the temple including Durga, Laxmi, Saraswati, Kartik, Ganesh and Asur became worst victims of the outrage. Severed heads of hallowed deities were found in the field before the temple and to terrify Hindus more, faceless assailants left a note asking them to convert to Islam or move to India en masse.


 

In accordance with Surja Mohan Sarker, general secretary of the Temple Committee, the temple was closed at 7.30 pm and the brutal reality was found out in the next morning. Prior to this on February 10, two sanctified Deities in the residence of Nepal Chandra Barman, inhabitant of Gachgari area in the same sub district, were desecrated. An official complaint was filed in the local police station of Kaliakoir. But, as expected, police is yet to get hold of culprits.

 

 

 

 

Even if the police station of Kaliakoir has been found to term the atrocity as handiwork of Jamaat cadres, an outrageous brutality or persecution on a Hindu family was carried out by a local leader of Jubo League (youth front of Awami League) and his cohorts also of late. This nefarious event took place on March 4 at 10.45 am in the residence of Biswas family inhabiting the village of Suktagarh following a dispute on land. The village is located in the sub district of Rajapur within the district of Jhalkathi. According to Nayan Biswas (member of the tortured family and also a victim to the ferocious attack), his uncle named Amulya Biswas had sold 24 cottah land to Khaleq Mian, father of Siddique Mian, local leader of Jubo League. However, laying claim that a portion of the sold land was within both the residence and temple of Biswas family still, Siddique Mian and his henchmen (a group of 50 armed criminals) attacked the family all of a sudden on the fateful day. Both the residence and temple were ransacked before long and apart from robbing an amount of 50, 000 taka with gold jewelries and thrashing Hindu members of the family, sanctified deities in the family’s temple were desecrated and also destructed. The cowshed was also burnt down. Even children were not spared as well.

 

Victims to this dastardly attack were Sagar Biswas (age 25 and son of Gopal Biswas), Manju Rani (wife of Sagar Biswas), Nayan Biswas (age 30 and son of Subhash Chandra Biswas) and Supriya (age 8 and daughter of Nayan Biswas).   

It has come to knowledge, police has arrested Siddique Mian (age 45), president of No. 8 ward of Jubo League, and Liman Hussain (age 25), son of Lavlu Khan, inhabiting South Alekanda in the district of Barisal, in this regard. Albeit police has assured them of all possible helps, the Hindu family is in extreme fear at the moment.

 

 

 

 It is my Sincere Thanks to Hindu Samhati who regularly monitors and reports violations against Hindus in West Bengal. We also work with both governmental and NGO agencies for proper education on protection and ensure remedies to the Hindu populace as per prevailing law of the land.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bengal’s Communal Card

Macbeth, Shakespeare’s most self-destructive politician, was confident that he would never lose power until Birnam wood began to move.

Since it seemed highly unlikely that a whole forest would trot across towards his fortress, he lived in the complacent world of invincibility. 

Every government in Bengal is equally certain of survival till the Muslim vote begins to move against its citadel. The largest Muslim concentration in India is in Bengal; they constitute 28 per cent of the population, or twice the national average. The effective percentage is higher. Muslims, conscious of the strategic value of their vote, poll in higher numbers. Second, geography is on their side. They are concentrated in an eastern arc that rises from South 24 Parganas and develops demographic momentum in districts like Murshidabad, Malda and Dinajpur. They make the difference in at least half of Bengal’s seats, if not more.

Quiz question: what is the Muslim vote in President Pranab Mukherjee’s former constituency? Above 65 per cent. Rub your eyes again at the next fact. Barring one instance in the 1950s, neither the Congress nor the Marxists have put up a Muslim candidate from this constituency, until the Left did so in last year’s by-election. 

Being a forest, this vote moves slowly, almost imperceptibly, but when it shifts the impact is decisive in Bengal. Till 1967, it supported the Congress. When the mood changed, United Front governments came to power. In 1971, it went back to Congress because of Mrs Indira Gandhi, but from 1977 it veered towards the Left and kept Marxists in power for over three decades. It now forms the vanguard of the Mamata Banerjee insurrection.

The decline in Mamata Banerjee’s urban popularity is evident to anyone who lives in or visits Calcutta. Calcutta has not returned to red yet, but the mood is belligerent. There is incipient nostalgia among the genteel bhadralok in particular for the last Marxist Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, who had the kind of soft public style that is considered good manners.

Mamata Banerjee is too interventionist, a one-woman occupation force rather than a government. She has not understood the art of surrendering space to colleagues, if for no other reason but to share the blame when things go wrong, as they always will. If you hog the spotlight, warts from elsewhere will drift onto your face. Her nature is confrontational. This wins applause when she dares a Goliath called Delhi. It seems shabby when her ire descends upon little men from Lilliput who crowd the media.

But slip outside the metropolis and you can smell and see the change in mood along with the environment. Rural Bengal, on either bank of the Hooghly river, is as serene as urban Bengal is squalid. As we drive up towards Shantiniketan, where Bengal pays homage to the memory of Rabindranath Tagore, there are only a few patches of the potholed past. On one short stretch, a 20th century road was still being laid over a 19th century surface through 18th century methods. But these villages and small towns that echo through the early phase of East India Company history, remain Mamata territory. The devastation of famine, which came with the British, may have become a nightmare of the past but poverty remains pervasive, visible in the low wages and darned lungis of labour.

It is this constituency of the poor that gives Mamata her political strength. But her true opportunity lies in an area of decision-making which is rarely discussed. Both Congress and Communists never lose a chance to claim secularism as their bread-and-butter creed, but neither has ever empowered Muslims when in government. In any other state a community with a minimum 30 per cent vote would have claimed the chief ministership. Forget that thought in Bengal. Neither Congress nor Communists have even given a Muslim an economic portfolio like finance. As a senior Marxist once told me, Bengali Muslims are considered good enough for only livestock.

So far Mamata Banerjee has remained within the conventional pattern. She has raised the political profile of some Muslim colleagues but that is not going to be enough for a community that is beginning to understand its power. If it continues to be taken for granted, fed with occasional tokenism, the forest will move much faster than before. Mamata Banerjee still has time. And time shall tell if she also has the will to be different.

Source: http://www.khaleejtimes.com/kt-article-display-1.asp?xfile=data/opinion/2013/April/opinion_April45.xml&section=opinion

Vande Mataram controversy reveals mental chasm

Prior to the 175th birth anniversary of Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay (1838-1894), his song Vande Mataram is back in news for wrong reasons. On May 8, BSP’s Shaifqur Rehman Burq nonchalantly walked out of the Lok Sabha while Vande Mataram was being played. The only comparable incident in the annals of the apex legislative body had taken place on the historic midnight on August 14-15, 1947. As the Assumption of Power ceremony commenced in the Constitution Hall (now Central Hall of Parliament) with Vande Mataram, some members did not arrive. But as soon as the song concluded, they were seen trickling inside. HV Kamath, member from erstwhile Central Province & Berar, found their entry too simultaneous to be natural. They had apparently wanted to skip the Vande Mataram by design. Kamath referred to this incident in the Constituent Assembly on August 26, 1947 when it was his turn to speak. However, neither the identity of members nor their motives are known to us.

But Burq, MP from Sambhal, and Convenor of Babri Masjid Action Committee clearly acknowledges religious reasons. He admits that tenets of Islam prevent him from bowing down his head to (an idolised form of) the motherland. “I can give my life to the motherland and I have been taught heaven lies beneath the feet of mother. But I cannot bow my head to her, which is reserved only for Allah.”

Criticism directed against Burq is purely legalistic. It hinges on the point that Burq has insulted the national song, co-equal of national anthem Jana Gana Mana. His critics trace it to a statement by President Rajendra Prasad in the Constituent Assembly on January 24, 1950. “The song Vande Mataram, which has played a historic part in the struggle for Indian freedom, shall be honoured equally with Jana Gana Mana and shall have equal status with it… I hope this will satisfy all members.” It was not a ruling from the chair but a statement made only to ‘satisfy’ the members. It was like an apology or resignation tendered merely to ‘satisfy’ ruffled public sentiment.

Had Dr Rajendra Prasad or Nehru been sincere about the co-equal status, they would have got it entered into the Constitution adopted on November 26, 1949. Several Constituent Assembly members had favoured recognising Vande Mataram as the national anthem. But why did Dr Rajendra Prasad make a reference on January 26, 1950 — merely two days before the Constitution was about to be enforced? The song actually fell between two stools. Vande Mataram is not protected even Article 51 A of the Constitution — Fundamental Duties or the Prevention of Insults to National Honours Act, 1971.

But what the legalistic interpreters overlook is the psychic chasm between the communities. Vande Mataram merely occasions its exposure. I doubt if Burq’s conduct would have surprised Bankim. Burq’s iconoclastic faith prevents him from bowing down to motherland personified. Bankim had no love lost for Burq’s Arabic imperial faith either. In Anandamath (1882), where the song Vande Mataram appears, he hails the disestablishment of Muslim rule in Bengal. He was convinced that a century of British rule was necessary to reinvigorate the Hindus.

Bankim was not merely the first novelist of India. He is hailed a seer who gave us the mantra of ‘Vande Mataram’. Its Hindu inspiration is obvious. The song was composed on November 7, 1875 on the day of Jagaddharti Puja in Bengal. But that is not the only reason why Muslims were irked by it. Vande Mataram was song common to different branches of freedom movement. From revolutionaries of Bengal and Maharashtra to the moderate Congressmen and Gandhiji– Vande Mataram was hailed by all. But the bulk of Muslim society, under the influence of Sir Sayyid Ahmed Khan, stayed away from freedom movement. The freedom movement of India was thus a Hindu enterprise. Only the Hindus melted their bones in the dungeon of cellular Jail in Andaman, and went to gallows smilingly for the sake of motherland.

Vande Mataram, like the less poetical Bharat Mata Ki Jai, is a Hindu expression of patriotism. It is the Hindu who idealises India as divine mother. Its roots perhaps lie in the hoary antiquity of Atharva Veda where the Prithvi Sukta says, “Earth is my mother, I am her son”. He sees Mother India as part of Mother Earth. India is the land of sacred geography — but to Hindus alone. To the Central Asian invaders, India has been a real estate. The Muslims have possessed India, the Hindus have belonged to it. Thus Vande Mataram or Bharat Mata Ki Jai come naturally to any Hindu of whatever persuasion. Had Burq’s forefathers not accepted the religion brought over by Turk horsemen, he would not have any hesitation in singing Vande Mataram.

The contrast is quite revealing as Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha are adjourned sine die each session. The Chairman of Rajya Sabha, Vice President Hamid Ansari says, ‘now national song’. But Speaker, Lok Sabha, Meira Kumar says ‘Please stand up for Vande Mataram’. Hindus would love Vande Mataram, as they have loved it for a century, regardless of its Constitutional status. It is the love of patriotic Hindus, not the statement of the Chairman, Constituent Assembly that has made Vande Mataram a national song.

Source: http://www.niticentral.com/2013/05/13/vande-mataram-controversy-reveals-mental-chasm-77208.html

Notorious Gogoi demands refugee status for Bengali Hindus in Assam!!

Vote plays an imperative role in democracy as it is defined as a political system in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens who can elect people to represent them.

But the way Indian politicians stoop in hours of need and pamper people shames the witnesses even. Latest to join this bandwagon is Tarun Gogoi, reigning Chief Minister of the Indian state of Assam and what makes this article jest at him is his sudden concern for Bengali Hindus in his state. This is not the first time when the presence of Bengali Hindus is found there; these people, victims of Hindu persecution in Bangladesh, have been entering the state steadily ever since 1971 and have suffered in all possible manners due to the apathetic state and central administration. None have thought of them and    now when the parliamentary election is round the corner these unfortunate people have become greatest cause of concern.

See below:

Political bid: Assam CM Tarun Gogoi seeks refugee tag for Hindus from Bangladesh

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has said that he will seek refugee status for people who migrated to India from Bangladesh following persecutions. "This will mean a central law for those who were forced to leave their homes. It will be on the lines of political asylum," Gogoi said on Tuesday.

Traditionally, Bengali Hindus in Assam are believed to be BJP supporter. However, in the 2011 assembly polls, there was a distinct shift towards Congress. For the first time in Barak valley, Congress won 13 out of 15 assembly constituencies. This was seen as the result of Gogoi's support for the cause of immigrants who had arrived in India due to persecution. He had said that they should be given refugee status on humanitarian grounds.

Gogoi said that his proposal will in no way violate the provisions of Assam accord. Under Assam accord, March 25, 1971, is the cutoff date for treating someone as a foreigner. Congress in Assam is confident of winning more seats in the Lok Sabha polls than last time. It had won seven seats out of 14 in Assam in 2009.

Taunting BJP's presumptive prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, Gogoi alleged that he was a capitalist. "Big companies were given concessions in Gujarat. That is why he is their darling. Ambanis and Tatas are backing Modi. Even businessmen of Fancy Bazar (business hub of Guwahati city) are backing BJP."

Tarun Gogoi has said he personally favors Rahul Gandhi as Congress' PM candidate for 2014 Lok Sabha polls, echoing PM Manmohan Singh's statement that the party VP will be an 'ideal choice' for the top post.

"Manmohan Singh himself does not want to be the Prime Minister next time...I support Rahul Gandhi to become the Prime Minister. I am saying it openly and formally," Gogoi said.

On whether the 2014 election will be a fight between Rahul and Narendra Modi, he said, "Fight is not between individuals, it will be between Congress and BJP. The fight will take place between the leaderships."

Link: http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2013-09-11/news/41971540_1_refugee-status-congress-and-bjp-assam-accord