Sagardighi (Murshidabad): Last week, at the Sagardighi area of Murshidabad district in Bengal, a little known outfit held rituals for the construction of a Ram temple. Murshidabad has a close to 67% minority population.
This Republic Day, Kartik Maharaj, a spiritual leader accused of instigating communal tension in the same district was awarded the Padma Shri by the Narendra Modi government.
The above two events are linked and are both reflections of a growing effort to communalise the district in Bengal.
The Yogi of Bengal
Also known as Swami Pradiptananda, Maharaj, associated with Bharat Sevashram Sangha, has emerged as a polarising figure in Bengal politics in recent times and has often played a direct role in state developments.
Hailed by local Bharatiya Janata Party supporters as the ‘Yogi of Bengal’ – after Uttar Pradesh chief minister Adityanath – Kartik’s alleged influence in two communal clashes in Beldanga, a small municipal town close to Berhampore in Murshidabad has come under question.
On the day he was conferred the Padma award, Kartik delivered a fiery speech in nearby Nabaram, urging tribals to take up arms. He said:
“Just as [Hindu deity] Ram had to wield a bow and arrows to defeat Ravan, tribals in the district must keep weapons in their homes to overcome their enemies while chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’.”
This story was originally published in thewire.in. Read the full story here.
