In a first, VHP to celebrate Janmashtami in Bengal
six months of the tussle between the saffron camp and Trinamool Congress government over public display of traditional weapons during Ram Navami celebrations, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) is all set to celebrate Janmashtami on the streets of Kolkata and the districts on Sunday. At least 80 processions have been planned in Kolkata alone.
In Bengal, the birth of Lord Krishna was never celebrated with the kind of street events that the Hindu outfit has planned.
For this, a frontal organisation has also been launched by VHP. Till Friday, police allowed it to take out processions and tableaux across the state except Kaliaganj in North Dinajpur district, where there had been some tension in the past.
Trinamool leaders, who took part in Ram Navami festivities for the first time in March this year in an apparent bid to counter the saffron brigade, attempted to downplay the new development.
CPI(M) saw in it “an attempt to widen the communal divide in Bengal”.
The birth of Krishna is celebrated inside many households and temples in Bengal. Even International Society for Krishna Consciousness (Iskcon), the world’s biggest organisation of the faith, holds its celebrations inside the temple at its headquarters at Mayapur in Bengal’s Nadia district and the temple in south Kolkata.
VHP, however, wants to turn Janmashtami into a colourful public event in the state. “We will take out at least 80 processions in Kolkata including four big ones that will be flagged off from Garia, Behala, Bangur and central Kolkata. There will be tableaux where singers from Satsangs will perform live. Boys and girls will dress up as Sri Krishna and compete for prizes for the best dressed one,” said Sachindra Nath Sinha, organising secretary of the VHP in Bengal, Bihar, Odisha and the Andaman islands.
“Hindu organisations and temple committees have been roped in to hold similar events in the districts. The idea is to reach out to people in as many locations as possible instead of having one gathering of a thousand devotees,” Sinha said.
“We have formed an organisation and named it Sri Krishna Janmashtami Ujjapan Committee. Krishna does not belong to VHP only. He belongs to all. This is a socio-religious festival. Police are not allowing processions only in Kaliaganj,” Sinha added.
Senior Trinamool leader and panchayat minister Subrata Mukherjee tried to play down VHP’s new venture. “So what if they are planning to take out processions on Janmashtami for the first time? Nowhere will you find more than a handful of people,” he said.
CPI(M) politburo member and Lok Sabha MP Md Salim, however, saw a danger.
“Among Hindu Gods, Lord Ram has few worshippers in Bengal. For saffron outfits, it is not easy to expand base with their Ram Mandir agenda. But Sri Krishna had millions of worshippers here. It is easy to infiltrate and influence people through events that are not directly part of politics,” said Salim.
KOLKATA:Within