Muslim social worker started Janmashtami celebration in Kolkata's Mominpore 58 yrs ago but now the muslim organisers have been removed and Hindus have taken over the committee

One of Kolkata’s prominent Janmashtami celebrations in Mominpore, known for its multicultural participation and Muslim organisers, is set to take a different shape this year. The event, which has traditionally involved members of different communities, will reportedly be organised exclusively by Hindus this time.

Rakesh Singh, the BJP’s losing candidate from the Port assembly constituency in this year’s election, told The Times of India on Tuesday that the celebration would be managed by “only Hindus” because Janmashtami is “a Hindu festival”.

Singh said he agrees with the Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s view that “religion belongs to individuals and festivals also belong to those individuals”. He also criticised former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s repeated assertion that “religion belongs to individuals but festivals belong to everyone”.


58-Year-Old Janmashtami Celebration Takes A New Turn
The Janmashtami celebration is being held at the Bhukailash Road-Hussain Shah Road crossing in Kolkata Municipal Corporation’s Ward 79. The area falls under the Port assembly constituency and is close to Bhowanipore.

The event is entering its 58th year and has previously had several prominent patrons associated with it, including former Kolkata mayor Firhad Hakim and senior Trinamool Congress functionaries Mohammed Alam and Serajul Karim.

Singh’s involvement in the organisation of the celebration comes roughly a week after the VHP issued guidelines to Durga Puja organisers across the city on conducting Bengal’s major festival.

VHP Guidelines Also Focused On Religious Practices
The VHP’s recommendations for Durga Puja organisers included avoiding distortion of images of deities and ensuring that pandal designs reflected Hindu culture and heritage.

The organisation also called on puja committees to prohibit non-vegetarian food inside the core pandal areas, citing spiritual purity and cleanliness.

Singh, who said he is both the president and chairperson of the Janmashtami organising committee, defended the decision to have Hindus exclusively manage the event.

“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.”

Muslim Community Had Played A Major Role
According to local residents, the celebration was originally started nearly six decades ago by Muslim social worker Md Kashim. Although the event subsequently declined, it was later revived by another group of Muslim youths after the Trinamool Congress came to power in West Bengal in 2011.

Md Alam, a Trinamool functionary and former office-bearer of the organising committee, said Muslims had been actively involved in the event for years.

“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,”.

[With TOI inputs]