Leaders cutting across political lines and ideologies in Bengal reacted in various ways on Monday, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the consecration of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. The Telegraph tracks the activities of various north and south Bengal leaders on this day.
Who: Gautam Deb, mayor, Siliguri Municipal Corporation
What he did: Deb, known for his penchant for singing, sang “Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram,” a bhajan, accompanied by the harmonium at home. “Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of the Nation, used to sing this bhajan, and today it is very relevant for each of us to keep intact the country's social fabric and amity. This bhajan speaks of ‘Ishwar’ and ‘Allah’, which is an eternal message for our country. Today, I felt it necessary to sing the song and start my day. It is a very inspiring song,” said Deb.
Who: Anit Thapa, chief executive, Gorkhaland Territorial Administration
What he did: Thapa offered prayers to Lord Ram and Sai Baba at his residence in Siliguri on Monday. Thapa is a follower of Sai Baba. "Best wishes and congratulations to the people of India on this momentous occasion. May the concept of Ram Rajya be a reality,” said Thapa.
Who: Harshvardhan Shringla, chief coordinator of India’s G20 Presidency
What he did: Shringla celebrated the consecration ceremony of Ram Mandir with a grand puja, including a yagna, at his ancestral residence in Pradhan Nagar, Siliguri. "There can be no bigger occasion than this, and it is an honour to celebrate this momentous day in the presence of our community,” said Shringla.
After the rituals, Shringla personally welcomed each guest.
As the live screening of the ceremony in Ayodhya concluded, Shringla organised a prasad distribution in the entire area, focusing particularly on the poor.
Who: Nisith Pramanik, Union minister of state for home affairs and Cooch Behar MP
What he did: Pramanik inaugurated a Ram temple which has been built at the Khelarmath-Chararkuthi area of Cooch Behar on Monday.
The temple, residents said, has been built on a plot donated by two families in the area. Pramanik has paid for the temple which has been built with sandstones brought from Rajasthan.
Later in the day, he laid the foundation stone of another similar temple at the Hospital More area of Ghoksadanga under Mathabhanga subdivision of the district. "The MP has decided to build a Ram temple in each of the seven Assembly segments of his Lok Sabha seat (Cooch Behar) from his personal funds,” said Biraj Basu, a district general secretary of the BJP.
Who: Raju Bista, Darjeeling MP
What he did: Bista celebrated the occasion by offering prayers at several temples across Siliguri — Shri Krishna Pranami Mandir, followed by ISKCON Mandir, Shiv Mandir, Shri Shyam Mandir, Anandamayee Kali Mandir, Shri Ram Thakur Mandir, Hanuman Mandir and Kali Mandir.
“Today will be marked as a red letter day in the history of Bharatvarsha, marked by the consecration of the Bhagwan Shri Ram Mandir in Ayodhya,” said Bista.
Who: Ajoy Edwards, Opposition leader at GTA and Hamro Party president.
What he did: Edwards, a Christian by faith, currently accompanying Rahul Gandhi in his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, posted a message on social media to mark the day.
“To all my Hindu friends in the Darjeeling Hills, in India, and around the world, on this historic day, I extend heartfelt greetings filled with love, kindness, and compassion. As the physical temple of Lord Rama's birth is consecrated today, let us remember that his teachings of duty, love, compassion, and forgiveness resonate in every heart.”
Edwards further added: “May the spirit of Ram, which embodies Love, remain undivided by narrow-mindedness and petty politics.
Jai Shri Ram! Jai Ram Ji Ki! Jai Siya Ram!”.
Who: Saikat Chatterjee, vice-chairman, Jalpaiguri Municipality
What he did: Chatterjee readied a dais under the banner of Jalpaiguri Zilla Nagarik Mancha at Thana More in Jalpaiguri town where he organised puja for several Hindu deities but not Ram. Priests were engaged to perform the puja.
"BJP is playing politics with the Ram temple. We performed the puja to propagate real Hinduism and pass a message of peace, amity and inclusiveness,” he said.
Who: Priyanko Pandey, Trinamul leader from Bhatpara, North 24-Parganas
What he did: Pandey organised a special prayer for Lord Ram on Monday. The husband of Jyoti Pandey, a Trinamul councillor in Bhatpara from ward 3, invited Anil Kumar, an artiste from Bhagalpur, to create a 130-feet image of Lord Ram using eight lakh diyas. Appearing unperturbed about his party's decision to isolate itself from the Ayodhya temple inauguration, Pandey said: "This programme has no relation with the one in Ayodhya. There is no politics in worshipping Lord Ram. We all offer prayer to him. It is a matter of personal faith."
Who: Aditi Mitra, Trinamul leader, Basirhat municipality chairperson in North 24-Parganas
What she did: Trinamul workers led by Aditi and her husband Surajit Mitra organised a picnic with people of various religious communities to celebrate communal harmony, protesting against the "Centre-sponsored" inauguration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. The picnic was held on the bank of river Ichhamati.
Surajit said: "The BJP is trying to get political mileage ahead of the Lok Sabha polls by using religion. We are opposed to it and hence tried to convey a message of social and religious harmony through this picnic. Religion preaches humanism and not discrimination."
