Chaos among tribals brings VHP's community marriage move under scanner
Malda: The "false claims" of Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) in Malda have been exposed after a section of those who took part in community marriage for tribals, claimed that they had accepted the proposal as the workers told them that it was "organised by government".
The community marriage for tribals was organised by the Dharma Prashar Bivag of VHP for the first time in Malda at Aathmile area's Alurhaat on February 2.
Trouble broke out after around 130 couples got married, as allegation of tribals getting married as per Hindu rituals cropped up. They were made to sign an application form stating that "they will spread Hindu tradition and culture lifelong after their marriage".
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had also raised concern over the same. The reality of the community marriage came up during a visit on Thursday to the villages including Kaluadighi and Gotepara, under jurisdiction of Malda Police station.
18-year-old Rajina Kole, who got married to Dipak Kole on February 2, hails from a tribal family. She said some people came to their house and gave an application form to get married in the community marriage, adding that it was 'organised by the government'. Being unaware of the reality, Rajina and her family members signed on it.
A local woman said that in their community there are several cases in which a couple stays together without getting married, as they do not have the capacity to organise social marriage for various reasons. But now, they are aware how important it is to get proper recognition of their marriage.
Similar was the case of Rajina, who had been staying together with Dipak for five months, before getting socially married on February 2. Her mother-in-law Anjali Kole approached this correspondent, finding Rajina speaking about her marriage and reiterated that they were told that the community marriage was organised by the government.
Moreover, they claimed that they are not capable of reading out the application form's details. So they filled it up and submitted it to the workers of VHP who came to their house.
A part of the application form reads: "We hereby agree to get married according to Hindu rituals and pledge to uphold and spread Hindu culture henceforth".
This sparked the ire of a large section of tribals from the area. Sarala Murmu of Trinamool Congress' Tribal Cell said it led to major ruckus on February 2, when VHP organised the community marriage.
Pinky Mardi is another woman who got socially married to Lakkhiram Murmu on the same day at the community marriage. She hails from Gotepara village and got married after eight years of staying together with Lakkhiram.
Pinky, who claimed to be literate enough to only write her name, said that the people who came to distribute the application form told her that it will help in getting proper recognition of their marriage and they will be getting documents for the same.
However, they are yet to get any documents. They were told that photographs of their marriage and other details have been sent to an organisation in Delhi, who will be sending a certificate giving recognition to their marriages.
Mantu Sarkar, who is the organising secretary of VHP's community marriage for tribals, said: "They are not that aware of the facts and that is the reason why they are claiming that we told them that the community marriage was organised by the government. We have neither forced them nor claimed that it was a government programme."
When contacted, a senior police officer said: "We have got information that they had claimed it to be a government organised community marriage and got signatures from people on application forms by saying so. We don't have conversion law in Bengal. Cases have been started in this connection under SC/ST Act and sections under the Indian Penal Code for hurting religious sentiments. We are probing into the case."
