“The flag of unity and harmony will defeat Sangh’s communal-fascist agenda of hatred and violence,” said CPIML politburo member and AIPWA leader Com. Shashi Yadav, while paying tributes to great social reformer Jyotiba Phule on his birth anniversary on April 11th, 2023 at Patna’s Daroga Rai Path. To counter the violence and hatred orchestrated by the BJP-Sangh brigade during the Ram Navami festival, CPIML launched a ‘Unity and Harmony’ campaign across Bihar from April 11 – the birth anniversary of Jotiba Phule – to April 14 – the birth anniversary of Dr. BR Ambedkar.
Com. Rajaram Singh, politburo member of CPIML noted that the pre-planned violence by BJP-RSS under the pretext of Ram Navami festival is an attempt to poison the minds of people and divide the society. “They [RSS-BJP] not only want to spread hatred by attacking Muslim houses and properties, but also want to destroy the heritage of harmony and education. This is what we saw when the 100-year-old Madrasa Azizia was burned to the ground in Bihar Sharif,” he added.
In Darbhanga, a large number of civil society members and leaders of the Mahagathbandhan political parties joined the convention and paid tributes to Dr. BR Ambedkar on April 14, where they resolved to carry forward the message of the campaign and thwart attempts by BJP-RSS to divide people in the name of religion. Addressing the convention, CPIML politburo member Dhirendra Jha said, “BJP and the Sangh groups want to stop the young generation from getting an education. For this, they either burn down places of education or privatize them so that education becomes unaffordable. They want to keep the young generation unemployed, as is witnessed through the high rate of unemployment in the country, and make them the foot soldiers to their agenda of hatred and violence.”
On April 14 in Patna, politburo member and Bihar State Secretary Com. Kunal said that the BJP-RSS is implementing its nefarious design of hatred and violence, and that we must remember the warning given by Ambedkar that ‘if Hindu Raj becomes a reality it would be the greatest calamity to the country and that it must be prevented any cost.’ He called upon the state government to take immediate steps to rebuild the Madrassa Azizia. “This will send a strong message to all those who want to spread hatred. The common heritage of unity and harmony cannot be destroyed,” he added.
In Bihar Sharif, the programme organised by AIPWA was prevented from taking place by the local administration. However, the venue of the programme was shifted to nearby Hilsa, where a rally was organised which culminated at the Ambedkar’s statue. The rally, which witnessed hundreds of people joining, reverberated with the clarion call – ‘Naya Bharat ke Vaaste, Ambedkar-Bhagat Singh ke Raaste’. Speaking at the event, Com. Meena Tiwari, PB member and AIPWA General Secretary said, “Today, we face a urgent challenge, i.e., to save the country from the clutches of fascist forces. What we saw during Ram Navami in Bihar and other states is the model which BJP-RSS wants to build in India – a model of hatred and violence, which must be defeated,” and added that we have to unite and prevent this tragedy from happening again and build an India of our martyr’s dreams – of liberty, quality and solidarity.
During the campaign in Bihar Sharif and Sasaram, where the widespread violence was witnessed against Muslims during the Ram Navami festival, people united to protect the common heritage of secularism and solidarity. The people called upon the administration to take strong action against the anti-social elements and Sangh groups that orchestrated the pre-planned violence and vitiated the peace in these areas.
The campaign was also organised in Bettiah, West Champaran, with the call of carrying forward Jyotiba Phule’s message of freedom, equality, humanity and solidarity. Similar programs were also organised in Arwal, Gaya, Sasaram, Nalanda and other places of Bihar to counter the BJP-RSS’s venomous agenda, in the form of door-to-door campaign, discussions and rallies.
Rallies, meetings and discussions were organised across several districts to mark the birth anniversary of Dr. BR Ambedkar, where it was resolved to strengthen the message of the campaign and resist BJP-RSS nefarious agenda of dividing people in the name of religion.
