What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
In a deeply troubling account of religious restrictions in West Bengal, two Hindu families living in Karigarpara, a predominantly Muslim neighbourhood in Naihati, have been unable to organise Kali Puja for years because of objections from sections of the local Muslim community.
Only two Hindu families reside in the neighbourhood. Inspite of wishing to celebrate Kali Puja, the families were allegedly prevented from doing so following local objections. Successive years under the previous Trinamool Congress government brought no effective intervention to secure their ability to hold the religious celebration.
Following the change in the political landscape of the state, the matter received direct attention from Naihati MLA Shri Sumitra Chattopadhyay and Bijpur MLA Shri Sudipta Das. Both legislators visited Karigarpara and stood alongside the two Hindu families, stating that Kali Puja would be organised, and the families would be allowed to exercise their right to worship.
However, their intervention, was reportedly met with resistance from sections of the local Muslim community. Among those objecting was Mohammed Amin, a local Congress leader, who engaged in a heated exchange with the legislators. He and several other local residents argued that the proposed puja should not take place because a mosque was situated nearby.
The two BJP legislators refused to retreat in the face of the objections. They reiterated that Kali puja would take place and the families’ right to worship her would be protected. They also directed that preparations for the puja should begin with immediate effect.
The significance of this intervention extends beyond one neighbourhood and one religious festival.
The people of Karigarpara deserve peace, mutual respect and the freedom to practise their respective faiths. The two Hindu families should not have to fight a neighbourhood battle simply to celebrate Kali Puja.
