2 hrs ago
Kolkata Janmashtami Committee Excludes Muslims After BJP Leader Takes Charge
A Janmashtami festival is being organized differently in Kolkata this year.
Janmashtami celebrates the birth of Lord Krishna.
A BJP leader named Rakesh Singh has formed a committee made up only of Hindus.
He says Hindu festivals should be organized by Hindus.
Some former organizers say Hindus and Muslims worked together on this festival for many years.
They say a Muslim social worker originally started it.
They believe removing Muslims could create more distance between the two communities.
A member of the new committee disagrees and says Muslims were not part of the committee in recent years.
The accounts about the committee’s past membership therefore conflict.
A BJP leader, Rakesh Singh, has taken charge of a Kolkata Janmashtami event and formed an all-Hindu committee.
The festival had reportedly involved Hindu and Muslim organizers for about 57 years.
Local accounts say Muslim social worker Muhammad Kashim started the celebration nearly 60 years ago.
Singh said Muslims may worship privately but should not participate in Hindu festival committees in the area.
Former committee members called the exclusion harmful to Hindu-Muslim relations, while a new committee member denied Muslims had recently served on the committee.
- Who
- BJP leader Rakesh Singh and a newly formed Hindu-only organizing committee; former organizers say Hindu and Muslim residents previously participated.
- What
- The organizing committee for a Kolkata Janmashtami celebration has been changed to include only Hindus.
- Where
- At the Bhukailash Road-Hussain Shah Road crossing in Mominpur, Kolkata’s port area.
- When
- The change is taking place this year, after about 57 years of reported Hindu-Muslim participation.
- Why
- Rakesh Singh says Hindu festivals should be organized according to Hindu wishes and that other communities should not participate in their festival committees; former members say the decision creates division.
Interfaith participation
Hindu-only organization
Committee membership
Interfaith participation
Former committee members and local accounts say Hindus and Muslims jointly organized the festival for many years, with 16 of the previous 18 members reportedly being Muslim.
Hindu-only organization
Rakesh Singh says Muslims should not participate in Hindu festival committees in the Kolkata port area. New committee member Shibulal Paswan denies that Muslims were part of the committee in recent years.
Effect on society
Interfaith participation
Muhammad Alam, a former committee member, says excluding Muslims is harmful and intentionally creates a divide between Hindus and Muslims.
Hindu-only organization
Singh says the change allows Hindus to observe their festivals according to their wishes and does not prevent Muslims from worshipping Krishna privately or contributing donations.
History of the celebration
Interfaith participation
Local accounts say Muhammad Kashim started the event and Muslim youths later helped revive it, while both communities continued participating.
Hindu-only organization
Paswan says a Muslim man organized the puja long ago but claims there were no Muslims on the committee after that man died.
Key facts
- Event
- Janmashtami celebration
- Location
- Bhukailash Road-Hussain Shah Road crossing, Mominpur, Kolkata
- New committee
- An 18-member committee consisting only of Hindus, according to Rakesh Singh
- Earlier committee
- Singh said 16 of the previous 18 members were Muslims
- Reported founder
- Muslim social worker Muhammad Kashim, under the Kidderpore Samaj Kalyan Samity
- Reported history
- Locals said the celebration began nearly 60 years ago and involved both communities for about 57 years
- Political figure
- BJP leader Rakesh Singh, who lost the recent election from Port Assembly constituency
Quotes
Muhammad Alam
Trinamool Congress functionary and former puja committee member
“The committee members have invited Rakesh Singh this year. This year the puja is being organised by Sanatanis only. Earlier, members from both Hindu and Muslims communities were participating in organising the puja. We have a soft corner in our heart for Krishna ji too. But this year no one from the Muslim community has been invited to the festival. This is not good for the future society. A deviation is being intentionally created between Hindu and Muslims.”
NDTV
“No one can better respect our religion. For the past 15 years, we have seen that in each committee for Hindu festivals, Muslims were at the top of the committee. Like Firhad Hakim had been the chief of the Tarakeswar puja committee. It is time Hindus should observe their festivals according to their wish. We don't want to interfere in any other community rituals. And we won't allow other community to interfere in our customs.”
NDTV
Sources
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