While the national media refuses to take note of the fierce communal clashes that have rocked Farakka, Murshidabad district in West Bengal many Hindu villages like Jafarganj, Kutighat, Imamnagar, Nayansukh, Kashinagar, Raghunathpur, Choukigram, Beniagram and Kedua have been looted, destroyed and burnt by the fundamentalist Muslims. The Hindus of these villages have fled the area and taken shelter in relatively safe Hindu areas. The administration has been compelled to start 2 temporary "refugee camps" for the distressed Hindus, one in nearby NTPC township ‘Nubarun' and the other in the Bhangatola village on the Malda side of the Barrage. About 2000 Hindus have taken shelter is these camps. As per the reports many Hindus and some Muslims have been seriously injured in the clashes. More than 60 persons, both Hindus and Muslims are arrested by the police. Prohibitory section 144 has been imposed in the area to contain the situation. Large contingent of Police and RAF (Rapid Action Force) has been deployed.
Murshidabad is one of the frontier districts, which is witnessing fast demographic changes - according to 2001 census, in Farakka block, Hindus are 36.65 % and Muslims are 62.76%. In the neighbouring Samsherganj block, Hindu 18.69% and Muslim 81.22%. In the whole of Murshidabad district, Hindu 35.92% and Muslim 63.67%. However, there was no news of the clashes in mainstream English media. Bengali media - too secular by the half- will not report such things anyway. Bareilly riots and Hyderabad were dismissed in perfunctionary manner in the television channels & English newspapers. According to Home Ministry's Annual Report (2009-2010), there were 750 cases of Hindu Muslim riots across India. However, it will be puerile to blame the government alone for what has been a historic and endemic problem. Like Maoism, burgeoning out of India's backyard, Islamic extremism would become too hot to control. It is more pernicious problem that Islamic terrorism. Demographic changes, Census 2011 will reveal further dismal picture, threaten to redraw the boundaries of India in a severe fashion.
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Dr. Shiv Shakti
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