KOLKATA: With West Bengal witnessing communal riots during every festival in the past six months, the religious festivities for the upcoming Ram Navami celebrations have turned into new communal flashpoints in the State.
With the emerging force BJP-RSS vowing to celebrate Ram Navami in a big way in all the districts of the State on April 5, the State administration is on its toes to curb any possible communal violence during the festivities that sees the display of aggressive Hindutva with dance of swords, trishuls resonated with frantic chants of politco-religious slogan Jai Shree Ram.
“Who are police to issue permission? In Ram Rajya, people worshipped Lord Ram for centuries. People of Bengal will worship Lord Ram and with weapons on April 5. Show of strength in West Bengal will protect Hindus in Bangladesh,” BJP state President Dilip Ghosh said.
On the other hand, police is worried with this show of strength. “Ram Navami has never been celebrated on a big scale in Bengal, other than in urban pockets with substantial Hindi speaking populace. There is a history of Ram Navami sparking communal riots in various north Indian states. Most flashes have taken place when the Ram Navami procession passed through Muslim areas during which youths of both communities provoked and threatened each other. West Bengal has almost 30% Muslim population and several Ram Navami processions are likely to traverse Muslim-dominated localities. We are preparing to deploy West Bengal security personnel, including special forces STRACO and Eastern Frontier Rifles (EFR) in areas where Ram Navami will be celebrated in a big way,” a top police official of Police Headquarters Lalbazar told New Indian Express on strict condition of anonymity.
“More deployment will be in areas that have witnessed communal violence in the past six months such as Kharagpur, Chandannagar, Hazinagar, Naihati, Chanchol and Dhulagarh,” he added. More than 150 rallies would be held throughout the State, the bigger ones being held at Islampur, Raniganj, Siuri, Krishnanagar and Kharagpur among others. Opposition CPM has also expressed fears of riots in the state on Ram Navami.
“RSS masterminding Communal riots on D day of Ramnabami in diff parts of d state. D Vigilant Left has 2 protect communal harmony at any cost,” Left Front’s leader in Assembly, Surjya Kanta Mishra tweeted. Another top Left Front leader, Biman Bose also alleged at a rally on Monday that RSS and BJP were trying to instigate riots during Ram Navami.
However, Hindutva groups have asserted their rights to hold Ram Navami procession in a big way. “Hindus are under attack in West Bengal which is why there is a need to mark Ram Navami. People from all sections of society are participating in the programme,” said Bidyut Mukherjee, organisational secretary of RSS in West Bengal and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
As part of the Ram Navami festivities, a recorded CD chanting Jai Jai Shree Ram with a DJ mix is being played on loudspeakers in Kharagpur that has a fine balance of religious demography.