Hindu Samhati leaders arrested after attack by 6,000 strong Muslim mob in West Bengal

The
Friends of Hindu Samhati, USA unequivocally condemns today’s gruesome
attack on the Hindu Samhati training camp at Ganga Sagar (West Bengal) by a murderous mob of local Muslims, at least 6000-7000 strong, starting Thursday (June 12, 2008).

 

Ganga Sagar is a very reknowned Hindu Tirtha Kshetra (Place of Pilgrimage) where the sacred Ganga River
has a confluence with the Bay of Bengal. Ganga Sagar is located on the
western edge of the Sunderban Delta on Sagar Island. At the edge of
Sagar town – adjacent to the beach – is the ancient temple dedicated to
Kapil Muni, the sage responsible for initiating the chain of events
that ultimately resulted in Mother Ganga descending to the earth from
heaven and giving mankind an opportunity to wash away its sins in her
pure water. The earliest mention of this sacred place is found in the
Mahabharata where a learned sage explains to Bhishma the significance
of taking a dip at the confluence of Ganga Sagar. Millions of Hindu
pilgrims visit this holy place all year round to take a dip in the ho,y
Ganges, particularly during the Kumbha Mela and Makara Sankranti festivities.

 

Since
this morning (Thursday, 12 June, 2008), Hindu Samhati had started
conducting a training camp and workshop on the current socio-political
scenario to 180 men, women and children in the peaceful and serene
surroundings of Ganga Sagar.

 

Sri
Tapan Kumar Ghosh, the National Convenor of Hindu Samhati is conducting
the main sessions of this camp. Other eminent people and local notables
are also present. Everything went on smoothly until this evening, when
suddenly the camp building was surrounded by a murderous mob of about
6000-7000 local Muslims bent on mayhem. The Muslim attackers were
well-prepared and have been throwing gas cylinders and petrol bombs
(molotov cocktails) and kept on attacking incessantly for a few hours,
to incinerate the whole camp. The entire camp building has been reduced
to ashes. All 180 of our camp attendees (a large number of them women
and children) and 15 policemen are trapped inside this burning camp
along with our dear leader Sri Tapan Kumar Ghosh.

 

Already
14-15 attendees of the camp have been injured in the carnage, and at
least 7 of them are in very critical condition and are not expected to
survive. The names of the critically wounded include: Subodh
Kundu, Bivas Mondal, Gopinath Biswas, Prasenjit Sardar and Gautam
Halder, apart from 2 others that could not be identified because of
serious facial burn injuries.

 

Nine camp attendees are still missing and may have been kidnapped by the Muslim mob. Their names are:

Gautam
Mondal, Kartick Biswas, Ram Shil, Palash Roy, Gopal Dolui, Piyush
Senapati, Ashok Das, Shankar Nandi and Subhash Roy. We are very
apprehensive about their well being.

The
local police-station (Thana) has unfortunately sent in a small posse of
15 policemen who are totally inadequate for resisting such a huge
Jehadi mob armed to the teeth. The police could not control the mob of
Muslims even after firing several rounds.

As
of Friday morning (June 13, 2008), as per the recent information
received by us, the assault by the Muslim mob at Hindu Samhati campsite
in Gangasagar is still on, although the intensity has abated a little
bit. Some more police force has reached the trouble spot, though the
large force required to subdue a mob of this size and temperament is
nowhere in sight. A recent update by phone from the camp is that along
with the 14-15 attendees who were injured, 2 policemen have also been
seriously injured due to the assault by the Muslim mob. Scores of other
attendees to the camp has sustained minor injuries in this most
cowardly assault including the National Convener of Hindu Samhati, Sri
Tapan Kumar Ghosh. Thankfully his injuries are not serious.

Apart
from throwing petrol bombs to incinerate the camp building, the Muslim
mob also tried to breach the wall by exploding cooking gas cylinders
against it. Failing to break into the camp, the rampaging Muslim mob
has attacked and seriously damaged some nearby houses of the local
Hindus. They have also seriously damaged and set fire to an adjoining
Kali temple and a ‘Yatri Nivas’ (Travellers’ Lodge) run by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad.
The fireball attacks have slightly abated but the vicious threats and
stone pelting continues – all attuned to the collective chants of both
‘naara-e-takbir, allahu akbar’ (allah is the Greatest) and ‘inquilab
zindabad’ (Long Live the Revolution). 

Sagar
island at the Ganga Sagar – the confluence of the Ganga and the Bay of
Bengal – is one of the holiest pilgrimages of India, where millions of
Hindus from all over India and the world gather during the ‘Makar Sankranti‘
(Winter Solstice) for the ‘Punya Snan’ (Holy Bath) every year. If a
peaceful Hindu gathering can be assaulted with such viciousness and
impunity in one of the most sacred Hindu sites of pilgrimage, one
shudders to think what lies in store for the Hindus of West Bengal a
few years hence.

 

In a travesty of justice, instead of arresting the attackers, the Police in West Bengal have slapped a non-bailable arrest warrant against Sri Tapan Kumar Ghosh and 15 Hindu Samhati activists.  The concocted charges against them are listed as being: “Incitement and Instigation for Rioting” and “Disruption of Communal Harmony“.

 

As per the latest news received from the ground,

Sri Tapan Kumar Ghosh and 15 Hindu Samhati activists have been framed and arrested for inciting communal disharmony by Kakdwip Thana (Police Station) in West Bengal.

 

1)
The Friends of Hindu Samhati, USA strongly protests this outrageous
attack on a peaceful, indoor religious function that was held behind
closed doors. There was no provocation for this vicious assault nor was
any outdoor procession held at the location. It is pitiable that the
police could not provide security to its peace loving citizens and is
instead insisting on closing the camp down.

 

2)
We strongly urge the police and the local administration to arrest all
the perpetrators of this heinous crime immediately and provide security
to continue the camp at a nearby, alternate location.

 

3)
We deeply deplore the travesty of justice in West Bengal and appeal to
the police and the local administration to remove the framed charges
and release Sri Tapan Kumar Ghosh and 15 Hindu Samhati activists immediately.

 

4)
We request all friends and readers in India and abroad to call up the
Indian administration to inquire about this incident. At least, they
will know that people still care about justice and peace in India. The
Numbers to Call are:

a) District Magistrate, South 24 Parganas
Phone: 033-24793713
Email: [email protected]

b) Mr. Praveen Kumar

District Superintendent of Police,
South 24 Parganas, West Bengal

Mobile Phone: 91-98300-23142

 

c) Ganga Sagar Police-Station/Thana

Officer in Charge

Phone: 91-3210-240-205