On Friday, Jama Masjid in South Ramnagar joined the ‘Munajat (a prayer for forgiveness and peace)’ at mosques throughout Tripura, because the group postponed a protest rally in Sepahijala to keep away from any flare-up . Located simply 500 meters from the India-Bangladesh border, South Ramnagar, a suburb of combined communities in Agartala, has not recognized communal pressure within the almost 30 years because the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition. Violence in Bangladesh is felt in TripuraThe communities listed below are counting on outdated ties to make sure peace.
A small state with an space of ​​10,500 km, Tripura was irrevocably reworked by the creation of East Pakistan through the Partition and its transformation into Bangladesh in 1971. During successive waves of migration of Bengali Hindus from throughout the worldwide border, which is situated on three sides. In Tripura, a lot of the state’s tribal inhabitants is diminished to a minority. According to the 2011 census, about 9% of its 3.6 million persons are Muslims. Hindus carry the reminiscence of persecution by the hands of the Pakistani military, as a consequence of which they fled.
However, if Bangladesh violence has touched uncooked nerves, South Ramnagar is specializing in different reminiscences: years of residing collectively with out squabbles.
Abdul Rahim Chowdhury, the imam of the world’s Jama Masjid, says he won’t commerce Tripura for Silchar, his native place in Assam, the place divisions just like the one are working on the bottom.
Chowdhury alleged incidents, together with assaults on some mosques in Tripura, “some miscreants” and mischievous rumours. Chowdhury says: “We additionally opposed incidents of blasphemy in Bangladesh (in Durga Puja pandals). We assume there was some huge conspiracy occurring there. But what occurred overseas has nothing to do with Tripura. We are all Indians right here. More than 90 % of Hindus and Muslims in India are secular. A refined minority tried to create unrest, however we survived.”
Most of the incidents in Tripura occurred after protests by right-wing Hindu organizations like VHP and Hindu Jagran Manch. The BJP authorities has acted swiftly, together with stopping these organizations from taking out marches close to minority-dominated areas. It has imposed Section 144 restrictions, deployed safety in delicate areas, together with outlying mosques, held peace conferences, registered circumstances towards “rumour spreaders” and made arrests in circumstances of vandalism. Police say that legislation and order has been restored in the complete state.
Appreciating the actions of the federal government, Imam Chaudhry says that a lot of the potential injury was averted.
42-year-old Babul Miyan says the incidents had been an aberration. “I have been living here for almost 30 years. I have never seen any communal excitement. We include Hindus in their festivals, they attend our festivals.”
Babul Miya cited the instance of a dying in a Hindu household a number of weeks in the past, urging each side to relax. “There was nobody to take him to the crematorium. We raised cash, carried it, participated in rituals and offered all attainable assist to the household. We are all on this collectively. I would like everybody to know this straightforward fact.”
Tinku Miya talks about celebrating Diwali and Kali Puja, that are away collectively like yearly. An area membership that organizes Kali Puja with the joint participation of each the communities is filled with exercise.
Tinku says pressure appears far-off. “We’re going about our lives as normal, working together, hanging out together.”
People of the Hindu group say that when Jama Masjid was constructed a number of many years in the past, each the events got here collectively to construct it.
Bishu Das, 42, a day by day wage laborer, lives subsequent to the mosque, with only a pond separating their partitions. He says that he got here to know in regards to the violence solely after the information. Das says, “The administration and police are doing common check-ins, hopefully peace will prevail.
A girl from the Hindu group, who’s 60 years outdated and noticed the mosque being constructed, says: “We have been residing in peace for therefore lengthy. We are all good neighbors right here.”
As the CPM blames it for the violence, Tripura VHP secretary Purna Chandra Mandal denies any function, blaming “outsiders”. He additionally claims of provocation from the opposite facet. BJP spokesperson Nabendu Bhattacharya says that the get together is making contact to make sure concord.
Kanan Das, 50, nods at individuals round him in South Ramnagar. “We are one, Hindu and Muslim. Can you inform from one to the opposite right here until somebody instructed you?”
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With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
