…. We could hardly have imagined this scenario: that the foundation stone of the Babri Masjid would be laid again somewhere in the country, and that thousands of people would participate. Suspended Trinamool Congress MLA Humayun Kabir symbolically laid the foundation stone of the mosque by cutting a ribbon in the Beldanga area of ​​Murshidabad district. Humayun Kabir is the MLA from Bharatpur in West Murshidabad district. He had long been making public statements that he would begin the construction of the Babri Masjid on December 6th. This had created an atmosphere of unease within Bengal and the country. Demands to stop this were made from various platforms, but Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee did not try to stop it. She simply suspended Humayun Kabir from the primary membership of the party. This cannot be considered sufficient.

Any state committed to law and order would have arrested, detained, or at least placed under house arrest someone like Humayun Kabir, who was planning to incite communal tension and stir tension. It would also have prohibited such an event. The scene in Murshidabad was the opposite. It appeared as if the police were deployed there to provide security for the event. This is precisely the role the police would play if they had no orders from the political leadership to prevent it.

Anyone has the right to build a temple or mosque on legally valid land. However, building a mosque in the name of Babur hurts the sentiments of millions of Hindus and Sikhs and reopens their wounds. This is unacceptable from every perspective. The years-long struggle against the demolition of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya by Babur’s commander, Mir Baqi, in 1529 and the construction of the Babri Masjid are now well known. Ultimately, after independence, following a movement and subsequent judicial struggle, the temple was built after a Supreme Court verdict. Despite this, a section of the country believes that it has a connection with Babur, draws inspiration from him, and therefore, a mosque must be built in his name. This is an ominous sign for India’s unity, integrity, and communal harmony.

What greater irony could there be than the fact that many Indian Muslims identify with Babur, whom many historians in his native land call a plunderer? Following Humayun Kabir, an organization called Tehreek Muslim Shabban has announced the construction of the Babri Masjid Memorial and Welfare Institution in Greater Hyderabad. Who knows who will announce further construction in Babur’s name in the future. Bengal became a major ideological and operational force for fundamentalists during the partition of India. Direct Action Day took place here on August 16, 1946, in which hundreds of Hindus were killed, designed to frighten non-Muslims, pressure Congress, and leave the British government with no choice but to grant Muslims a separate country.

How can anyone analyze the fact that so many people from the Muslim community have rallied behind Humayun Kabir and donated money? Some may link this to the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections. If Humayun Kabir hopes to garner votes in the name of Babur, nothing could be more dangerous. Humayun Kabir’s communal and anti-Hindu mentality has long been evident. During the May 2024 Lok Sabha elections, he declared that 70 percent of Murshidabad’s population is Muslim and that he would throw BJP supporters into the Bhagirathi River. To which community do the BJP supporters in Murshidabad belong?

Recall the violence that erupted in Murshidabad district in April this year, under the pretext of the Waqf Act, and consider this statement by Humayun Kabir. The fact-finding committee, constituted by the Calcutta High Court, made shocking statements in its report on the violence. It stated that the violence was directed solely against Hindus and was planned, and that local Trinamool Muslim leaders and councilors led the violence. It also stated that people sought police help, but the police neither attempted to stop the violence nor provide protection to the victims. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee first blamed the BSF for this incident, and later called it a conspiracy by the BJP and the RSS.

First, Bengal’s leftist leaders, and now Mamata Banerjee, have ridden the dangerous, fanatical, violent tiger, posing a threat to themselves and the nation. Any community should be expected to accept certain clear historical facts and respect the sentiments of others. The situation in India is the opposite. Babur is being openly praised here. After the foundation of the Babri Masjid in Bengal, the country must understand the harsh reality of Islamic fundamentalism, and the government, along with the public, must consider how to combat it. There are those within the Muslim community who do not consider this type of behavior appropriate. They too must come forward and protest.