With six rallies, RSS to back Ram Navami celebration in Bengal

WITH RAM Navami celebrations set to take place in at least 175 locations across districts on April 5, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) will be “supporting” the largest ever celebration of the festival in the state. This will be first among many festivals when the RSS will actively seek to highlight the “agenda for rebuilding the Ram Temple in Ayodhya”, said sources.

The RSS has planned “six mega rallies” in the city and at least 175 more in other parts of the state, Sangh officials said. In Kolkata, rallies will be taken out in Khidderpur, Burrabazar, Baranagar, Hastings and Brace Bridge areas. Apart from that, processions will also be held at Islampur of Uttar Dinajpur, Ranigunj in Burdwan, Suri in Birbhum, Krishnagar in Nadia, Kharagpur of West Midnapore among others.

While BJP sources said the celebrations would help them in their attempt to strengthen and spread the ideological foundations for Hindutva, Left leader Surjya Kanta Mishra alleged that the RSS was “masterminding communal riots” on the day of Ram Navami and asked the Left to remain “vigilant” and “protect communal harmony” at any cost.

Bidyut Mukherjee, organisational secretary of the RSS in West Bengal and Andaman and Nicobar Islands, said the celebrations were not being conducted “under the banner of RSS, but affiliated organisations Ramnavami Udyapon Samity and Shree Shree Ram Navami Utsav Samity”.

“This is the first time that such a large celebration is taking place in Bengal. It happens every year, but never have there been so many,” he added.

The BJP has also lent its support to the celebration. “The RSS has been in Bengal for decades. However, this is the first time that something of this scale is happening. Moreover, the traditional Hindu gods of Bengal are Kali and Durga. But they don’t celebrate those festivals with the same fanfare. The motivation this time, is different,” said a senior BJP leader.

Meanwhile, the TMC government, though not officially commenting on the issue, has already issued instructions to the police to ensure that peace is maintained during the celebrations.