It is indeed shocking and surprising that West Bengal government repeated similar notification of not allowing immersion of idols of Goddess Durga after six pm on 30.09.2017 till 01.10.2017 because the day coincided with Muharram. It is despite the fact that similar notification was turned down last year by Calcutta High Court. It is noteworthy that several other minority-appeasing steps of Mamata Banerjee government have also been struck down by the court on earlier occasions. It is to be noted despite such occasions of religious days of Hindu and Muslims coinciding several times in last seventy years of independence, no such situation of law and order ever developed which might have triggered Mamta government to play with religious sentiments of Hindu community. Even no such restriction on immersing of idols is imposed for any such reason in neighbouring Muslim-majority nation Bangladesh.
Even though such repeat offending with sentiments of majority community being unconstitutional can make central government intervene by imposing President-rule in the state, yet practically such a step may unnecessarily make a villain hero for nothing.
Madhu Agrawal
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
