Pranab Kumar Das
The influence of “CAA”, “NPR”, and “NRC” has allegedly created wrong message among the religious people of various states in our country (INDIA). This picture was unfortunately found nakedly on the ground of the traditional ‘Ganga Sagar Fair’ in the heart of the glorious West Bengal State. It happened on the occasion of ‘Makar Sakranti’. This Holy Fair was held for seven days in themiddle of January every year.
It is a common picture once a year where several lakhs of pilgrims from different places gather on Sagar Island in this State. The purpose of the pilgrims, belonging to different castes, religion and language, is to take a Holy Dip at the confluence of the Ganga with Sea.
The three most sensitive issues have been creating massive trouble in some parts of our country. Such picture is still seen in Kolkata city along with some districts in West Bengal. Protest, agitation, gherao, etc. are regularly happening in West Bengal. Protestors have called against Bharatiya Janata Party led country’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi. West Bengal State Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee, is supremo of the ‘All India Trinamool Congress’. Mamata herself is leading to this critical situation against the three alleged controversial issues. Most of the pilgrims did not want to take any risk. The willing pilgrims did not show any eager to visit to the Ganga Sagar fair. It was disclosed by the visiting devotees from neighbouring states on the Ganga Sagar ground.
This visiting journalist, carrying with valid Media Pass, were witnessed such bitter experience. Some lawyers of the Calcutta High Court, when asked, said that crowd of the pilgrims were not so attractive this year in the Kolkata City.All pilgrims would to go to the Ganga Sagar through this Capital City in the State. West Bengal State Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s Government gave different version regularly. Mamata herself claimed firmly that more than ‘FIFTY LAKH DEVOTEES’ visited the fair from all over states in India including neighbouring country Nepal.
One of the Cabinet Ministers, Subrota Mukherjee, again and again said to the Media persons that “Ganga Sagar Devotees have been increasing every day at the Fair ground”. The senior most Cabinet Minister in the West Bengal State Government Subrota, however, claimed it categorically.
Police officials of the State Intelligence Branch, who did not want to disclose their names, told this visiting Journalist that ‘Devotees from other states gather poorly on the Fair Ground’. It was found an everyday figure, prepared by the IB team from the ground, was reportedly not indifferent with Government’s version.
It is known to all that this ‘Ganga Sagar’ fair is the second largest in India. Though it has not yet been declared as “National Fair”. Puri Jagatguru Shankracharya Swami Nischalanand Saraswatiji felt, “Traditional Ganga Sagar Fair should be declared as “National Fair”. The present Jagatguru Shankracharya expressed his view with a hope. “India will be declared as HINDU Country in future”. He pointed out that “The tortured bereaved Hindu people are taking shelter in India from neighbouring Islamic oriented countries”. Puri Shankarcharya, moreover, quoted that the neighbouring close state of India, Bhutan, will be a Hindu Rashtra in the coming days.
