All-Hindu Committee Takes Over Kolkata Janmashtami Event Started By A Muslim

For the past 57 years, people from both the Hindu and Muslim communities happily participated in organising the Janmashtami festival. However, the celebration is set for a significant change this year, after a BJP leader took charge of the event, removed all the Muslims and declared that the organising committee will have only Hindus.

BJP's Rakesh Singh, who lost from the Port Assembly constituency in the recent West Bengal elections, has taken charge of the event and is also the chief guest. 

"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," said Singh. 

"If any Muslims or trusts want to worship lord Krishna in their houses, we have no objection to that. But we will certainly oppose any Muslim's participation in any trust or puja committee in Kolkata port area," Singh added. 

Singh, who has now formed a committee consisting of only Hindus, said that 16 of the 18-member Janmashtami puja committee were Muslims earlier. 

Locals said the puja, held at the Bhukailash Road-Hussain Shah Road crossing in Mominpur, was started by Muslim social worker Muhammad Kashim under the banner of Kidderpore Samaj Kalyan Samity nearly 60 years ago. 

As the celebration gradually lost its prominence over the years, a group of Muslim youths helped revive it following the change of government in 2011, according to a report by news agency PTI. 

"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," said Muhammad Alam, a Trinamool Congress functionary and former member of the puja organising committee. 

"We don't know who is organising Janmashtami this year. Kasim Chacha started the Janmashtami years back. He has died, but Hindus and Muslims have happily participated in the festival. In past years, we have seen political leaders and businessmen from the Muslim committee among the invitees," said Rakesh Kumar, another former member of the committee. 

Shibulal Paswan, one of the members of the new committee, has, however, denied that Muslims were once part of the organising committee. 

"Muslims can happily take part in the puja. They can even participate in the donation or in 'chanda'. Once a Muslim man was in charge of organising the Janmashtami puja long back. But since he died, there were no Muslims in the committee," Paswan said.