Calculated Islamic attack on the Hindu Sadhus in Bengal ------ Utank Banerjee

 In the heartland of Bengal, where traditions and faiths intertwine like ancient vines, a sinister incident recently unfolded, revealing the bitter underbelly of deep-seated prejudice and political posturing. The brutal attack on Hindu sadhus in Purulia's Gaurangdih village stands not only as a ghastly testament to the brutality unleashed upon those draped in saffron but also as a stark narrative of betrayal within the very fabric of our cultural ethos.

 

Picture this – three sadhus, emissaries of peace and spirituality, their foreheads marked with sacred ash, embarked on a journey to the sacred Gangasagar Mela. Little did they know that their quest for spiritual enlightenment would plunge them into a nightmarish abyss of hatred. As the sadhus, accompanied by their associates, traversed the narrow lanes of Gaurangdih in an SUV, seeking directions to a brick kiln, they unwittingly stumbled upon a tinderbox of communal tension. They approached a group of schoolgirls, innocently inquiring about the route, unaware that their very appearance would be misconstrued and twisted into a heinous narrative.

The echoes of those screams, innocent in nature yet ominous in consequence, reverberated through the village. The sadhus, guardians of ancient wisdom, became victims of a frenzied mob, their saffron robes metamorphosing into a target for collective rage.

 

In a twisted turn of events, the 'language problem' narrative concocted by the authorities fails to capture the true essence of this macabre theatre. The attack wasn't merely a linguistic misunderstanding but a manifestation of decades-long conditioning, a sinister dance orchestrated by political puppeteers and ideological zealots.

 

Hindu sadhus, stripped naked, and beaten with sticks and shoes, bore the brunt of a rage fueled by a toxic cocktail of cultural conditioning and political machination. The claim that Bengalis are strangers to Hindi crumbles beneath the weight of reality – a reality where the language was merely a pretext for unleashing a torrent of brutality against the other, against those who dared to wear the saffron mantle.

 

The sorry state of affairs is further exposed by the feeble excuse of 'scared schoolgirls.' Are we to believe that in an era of global connectivity, these youngsters were incapable of comprehending a language widely disseminated through movies, social media, and popular culture? No, this narrative is a smoke screen, an attempt to shield the perpetrators from the truth.

 

Let's unravel the layers of this ominous tale. Decades of ideological poisoning under the communist regime have sown the seeds of disdain for Hinduism, germinating into a perverse narrative where sadhus are depicted as villains. The attack on these sadhus isn't a mere isolated incident; it's a culmination of years of indoctrination that painted the saffron robe with hues of suspicion. The political landscape, too, plays a damning role. The 'outsider' card, meticulously played by communists in the past, has bred hostility towards non-Bengalis, especially those from the Hindi heartland. Mamata Banerjee's brand of provincialism has only deepened these fault lines, where even spirituality wears the stain of political manoeuvring.

 

In the tapestry of Bengal's cultural heritage, saints like Ramakrishna Paramahansa, Lahiri Mahasaya, Swami Vivekananda and Baba Loknath are revered, yet the attack on these sadhus reveals a chilling hypocrisy. The assailants, driven by a concoction of animosity towards the saffron and Hindus, stand as torchbearers of a distorted ideology that feasts upon the very roots of our diversity.

This narrative isn't just about an isolated attack; it's a scathing commentary on the erosion of cultural values, a betrayal of the very principles that define our nation. The sadhus, battered but not broken, symbolize the resilience needed to confront the dark shadows that threaten to engulf the sacred fabric of our society.