Manas Bannerjee
MALDA, 25 AUG: Timely intervention by a section of religious figureheads helped subside what was developing into a major communal conflagration at Malda.
Tension was brewing in Dakshin Alipur village under Mahishbathani gram panchayat, in Malda since Saturday after a group of drunks from the minority community abused the sanctity associated with a grave and exhumed a body in an inebriated state, all for some money and more liquor. The ‘samadhi’ (grave) in question was that of a Hindu's and the act led to communal tension in the area.
Saner heads, however, prevailed and a major problem was averted. Taking the initiative to bring the stir caused by the effrontery to an end, the Mahishbathani gram panchayat pradhan, Mr Monirul Jaman and a religious figurehead of the minority community Muhammad Kabiruddin held a reconciliation meeting on the issue and declared that the five youths responsible would pay the affected family a sum of Rs 7,500 for the last rites of the exhumed body. The adjudicators also decreed 50 cane lashings for each of the offenders. The ruling, it was learnt, was accepted as fair and pacified the affected family and the Hindu community as well.
Trouble broke out after five Muslim youths Mehedi Hassan, Motiul Rahman, Saiful Haque, Rabiul Haque and Mehmuddin Sheikh exhumed the body of a hooch seller Bablu Saha in an inebriated state in search of alchohol. The youths had fallen short of liquor and wanted some more. Learning that their supplier Saha had died a few days ago, they decided to exhume his body in the hope of finding some more alchohol. They had also wagered among themselves on the issue.
Realising in the morning what they had done, they absconded. People from the Hindu community, however, came to know of their exploits and informed the matter to the gram panchayat pradhan, who in turn intimated the religious leader Mohammad Kabiruddin and the two decided on the above verdict. “The matter has been put to rest,” claimed Monirul Jaman today. 0
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