Kolkata Janmashtami celebration led by Muslim organizers becomes Hindu-only affair

Biplab Bhattacharjee Pandal construction for Janmashtami underway at Kidderpore

KOLKATA: One of Kolkata’s more prominent Janmashtami celebrations in Mominpore — where most of the organisers have been Muslims, making it an example of the city’s multi-cultural spirit — is set to turn into a Hindu-only affair this year.

Rakesh Singh, who was BJP’s (losing) candidate from the Port assembly constituency this year, told TOI on Tuesday that the celebrations will be organised by “only Hindus” this year as Janmashtami is “a Hindu festival”. Singh, who counted himself as a Congress functionary and used to control Alipore zoo’s labour union as part of the Indian National Trade Union Congress (a Congress affiliate), said he believes in Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s ideology that “religion belongs to individuals and festivals also belong to those individuals” and was critical of former CM Mamata Banerjee’s oft-repeated statement that “religion belongs to individuals but festivals belong to everyone”.

This Janmashtami event, held at the Bhukailash Road-Hussain Shah Road crossing in Kolkata Municipal Corporation’s Ward 79 — part of the Port assembly constituency and bordering CM Suvendu Adhikari’s and former CM Mamata Banerjee’s Bhowanipore constituency — enters its 58th year this time. Prominent patrons have included former city mayor Firhad Hakim and senior Trinamool functionaries Mohammed Alam and Serajul Karim.

Singh’s “takeover” of the celebrations comes about a week after VHP addressed the city’s Durga Puja organisers on how to conduct Bengal’s biggest festival. Among the dos and don’ts listed were that there should be no distortion of deities’ images and pandals should be designed to maintain Hindu culture and heritage. VHP also asked puja organisers to strictly prohibit non-vegetarian food inside the core pandal area citing the need to maintain spiritual purity and cleanliness.

Singh, who claimed to be both president and chairperson of the Janmashtami organising committee, said, “We cannot demean our traditional culture. People from other religions should definitely visit pandals but it is our duty to protect our religious activities. Janmashtami is a Hindu festival and it should be performed by Hindus only.”

According to locals, the Janmashtami event, which is organised by Kidderpore Samaj Kalyan Samity, was initiated by a Muslim social worker, Md Kashim, about six decades ago but faded over the years till another group of Muslim youths revived it after Trinamool came to office in 2011.

“Since 2011, we have been organising Janmashtami here. There were around 20 members in the organising committee, and half of them were Muslims. We used to celebrate the event together, distribute prasad and ensure all rituals were followed. But this year, all Muslim faces have been kept out of the committee,” said Md Alam, a Trinamool functionary and former office-bearer of the organising committee.

On Monday, TOI found a huge saffron-and-white pandal being erected at the venue. “Muslims used to control Janmashtami here till last year. But this year, it will be exclusively conducted and managed by Hindus. It’s like a cleansing activity,” said an organiser overseeing the pandal construction.