09-25-2012, 11:48 AM
TheMayof2011hasbeenawatershedeventinthehistoryofWestBengal.TheLeftFrontgovernmentleadbytheMarxists,hasbeenreplacedbyanewhopeforchange.ManyareoptimisticthatMamataBanerjeemightbeabletoputanendtocontinuingviolenceacrossruralBengal.However,inherpursuittodefeatingherpoliticalopponents,shehasconvenientlybrushedasideoneofthemostdebilitatingproblemsofBengalââ¬âthatofpoverty,religiouseducationandviolenceconnectedtoit.Samplethefollowingevent.AfterFridayprayers,about2000people,armedwithswordsandknivesletthemselveslooseonpoorvillagerspreparingtocelebrateDurgaPujainasleepytowncalledKartikpur.
NotanunfamiliareventinBangladesh,manywouldsuppose.WoulditsurpriseyouifyouweretoldthatKartikpurliesintheBarasatdivisionoftheNorth24Parganas,only30milesfromKolkata?WoulditsurpriseyouifyouweretoldofsimilareventsinDegangaandBeliaghataââ¬âallinthesamedistrictofWestBengal?WeBengalisprideourselvesonoursecularandliberalcredentials.Ifso,whywereeventsofsuchgrossreligiousintoleranceandhumanrightsabuseashasbeenseeninDeganga,orWestMidnapore,summarilycensoredbythemedia?Whatisevenmoreshockingisthatthesearenââ¬â¢tisolatedincidents,butpremeditatedactsofviolenceintendedtoinstillfearinpoormembersofoneparticularcommunity.VillagesinBengal,especiallythoseneartheborderwithBangladesharecryingofvictimizationandinjustice,andthereseemstobeapurposefulintentfromthegovernmentofficialstoshutthisdebateoutofthewindow.Butthereisanominouspatternhere.ThewayTaslimaNasreenhasbeenhoundedoutofBengal,bythesamepeoplewhoarrangemassralliesinsupportofAl-QaedaandOsamabinLadenonthestreetsofKolkata,bringsbackmemoriesfromthemid-1940sandDirectActionDay.Whilepowerplaysunfoldbetweenthemajorpoliticalparties,supportersofoneparticularreligiouscommunityarealmostalwaysatthereceivingendofalltheabuseandviolence.Theadministrationandthepoliticalpartiesseemtothink,thatthebestwaytodealwithsuchsituationsistolettimetakeitsowncoursesothatpeoplewouldforgetaboutthesecrimes.
Notus.WerefusetoacceptthatWestBengal,whereBengalishadthefreedomfromreligiousviolence,wouldbecompromisedduetotheinabilityofsecurityenforcementtocrackdownonsuchcriminals.Asthehistoryhasshown,withoutreligiousharmony,mereindustrialdevelopmentandinfrastructuralgrowthwouldbeacaseofone-step-forward-two-steps-back.Inthispursuit,wehaveembarkeduponaprojecttodrawtheattentionofpeopleinIndiaandaroundtheworldtothegroundrealitiesinBengal.AninvestigativerightsactivistandindependentfilmmakerwouldbecompilingashortfilmongrowingcasesofreligiousfanaticisminruralBengal.Theaimofthisprojectistomakepeopleawarethatthedangerofsuchextremismiscloserthanmanywouldliketoadmit.Wewouldliketoexposepolicymakerstotheurgentneedtoaddressthedangerathand.
Weappealtoyouforyourcooperationandsupportinmakingthisprojectasuccess.EvenasmallcontributiontothiscausewouldhelpthemillionsofpeopleinruralBengal,whoareprobablynotrulingoutarepeatofthetraumaticexperiencesof1947.
Tax-exemptdonationsonlinearebeingacceptedathttp://factusa.org/donate.aspx
CheckspayabletoFACTUSAcanbemailedtoFACTUSA,P.OBox66291,WashingtonDC,20035USA
Sincerely,
BengalViolenceDocu-AnalysisTeam
Email:bvdt.factusa@gmail.com
Website:www.factusa.org
NotanunfamiliareventinBangladesh,manywouldsuppose.WoulditsurpriseyouifyouweretoldthatKartikpurliesintheBarasatdivisionoftheNorth24Parganas,only30milesfromKolkata?WoulditsurpriseyouifyouweretoldofsimilareventsinDegangaandBeliaghataââ¬âallinthesamedistrictofWestBengal?WeBengalisprideourselvesonoursecularandliberalcredentials.Ifso,whywereeventsofsuchgrossreligiousintoleranceandhumanrightsabuseashasbeenseeninDeganga,orWestMidnapore,summarilycensoredbythemedia?Whatisevenmoreshockingisthatthesearenââ¬â¢tisolatedincidents,butpremeditatedactsofviolenceintendedtoinstillfearinpoormembersofoneparticularcommunity.VillagesinBengal,especiallythoseneartheborderwithBangladesharecryingofvictimizationandinjustice,andthereseemstobeapurposefulintentfromthegovernmentofficialstoshutthisdebateoutofthewindow.Butthereisanominouspatternhere.ThewayTaslimaNasreenhasbeenhoundedoutofBengal,bythesamepeoplewhoarrangemassralliesinsupportofAl-QaedaandOsamabinLadenonthestreetsofKolkata,bringsbackmemoriesfromthemid-1940sandDirectActionDay.Whilepowerplaysunfoldbetweenthemajorpoliticalparties,supportersofoneparticularreligiouscommunityarealmostalwaysatthereceivingendofalltheabuseandviolence.Theadministrationandthepoliticalpartiesseemtothink,thatthebestwaytodealwithsuchsituationsistolettimetakeitsowncoursesothatpeoplewouldforgetaboutthesecrimes.
Notus.WerefusetoacceptthatWestBengal,whereBengalishadthefreedomfromreligiousviolence,wouldbecompromisedduetotheinabilityofsecurityenforcementtocrackdownonsuchcriminals.Asthehistoryhasshown,withoutreligiousharmony,mereindustrialdevelopmentandinfrastructuralgrowthwouldbeacaseofone-step-forward-two-steps-back.Inthispursuit,wehaveembarkeduponaprojecttodrawtheattentionofpeopleinIndiaandaroundtheworldtothegroundrealitiesinBengal.AninvestigativerightsactivistandindependentfilmmakerwouldbecompilingashortfilmongrowingcasesofreligiousfanaticisminruralBengal.Theaimofthisprojectistomakepeopleawarethatthedangerofsuchextremismiscloserthanmanywouldliketoadmit.Wewouldliketoexposepolicymakerstotheurgentneedtoaddressthedangerathand.
Weappealtoyouforyourcooperationandsupportinmakingthisprojectasuccess.EvenasmallcontributiontothiscausewouldhelpthemillionsofpeopleinruralBengal,whoareprobablynotrulingoutarepeatofthetraumaticexperiencesof1947.
Tax-exemptdonationsonlinearebeingacceptedathttp://factusa.org/donate.aspx
CheckspayabletoFACTUSAcanbemailedtoFACTUSA,P.OBox66291,WashingtonDC,20035USA
Sincerely,
BengalViolenceDocu-AnalysisTeam
Email:bvdt.factusa@gmail.com
Website:www.factusa.org