BGB, BSF celebrated Holi: Will India’s BSF stop killing Bangladeshi civilians?
A.M.K.Chowdhury
It was good to learn that the Border Guard of Bangladesh (BGB) and Border Security Force (BSF) of India celebrated the Holi festival together at Agartala – Akhaura border. According to the Hindu mythology, ‘Dol Purnima’, also known as ‘Dol Jatra’, is regarded as the festival of the believers of Vaishnavism. Vaishnavism (Vaishnava dharma) is one of the major traditions within Hinduism along with Shaivism and Shaktism.
The Dol Purnima marks an auspicious day when Krishna, Radhika and their friends were playing with Abir (a kind of perfumed and coloured powder) at Brindaban in the ancient days. Holi, a religious festival of colours, also known as ‘Dol Purnima’ (full moon day), begins in the morning and continues till afternoon. It also lasts for two days starting on the Purnima in several parts of the country.
According to a newspaper report, Border Guard of Bangladesh (BGB) and Border Security Force (BSF) of India celebrated Holi festival together at Agartala – Akhaura integrated check post (ICP) near the capital of Indian northeastern state Tripura on March 12, 2017. They smeared each other with colours and hugged each other to convey greetings before exchanging sweets.
Kanhiya Kumar, BSF official and in-charge of ICP in Indian side said: “We are celebrating Holi festival with the soldiers of Border Guard of Bangladesh. We have enjoyed smearing colours and exchanged greetings and sweets with them. We hope to face together all formidable challenges in the days to come.” The BGB and the BSF troopers were seen enjoying the celebrations with sounds of laughter everywhere.
The BGB team led by Md. Suram, in-charge Akhaura Land Port in Brahmanbaria said, “Today BGB and BSF troopers have come together in the border and enjoyed Holi here. Not only me, but all my soldiers are here and enjoying with the BSF personnel. I do not have words to express our enjoyment.”
The celebrations were a symbol of communal harmony and spread the message of unity among diversity. It ended with exchange of sweets and the border guards promised to maintain good relations. (The Daily Observer, dated March 13, 2017)
Holi festival signifies the victory of good over evil, the arrival of spring, end of winter, and for many a festive day to meet others, play and laugh, forget and forgive, and repair broken relationship. It is also celebrated as a thanksgiving for a good harvest.
As a ritual in celebration of the festival, the devotees visited the shrines, temples and offer colours at the feet of Idol of the god Sri Krishna and goddess Sri Radhika.
Mythology
‘Dol Purnima’ or ‘Dol Jatra’ is dedicated to Sri Krishna. Krishna is the god of compassion, tenderness and love in Hinduism. He is one of the most widely venerated and popular Indian divinities, worshipped as the eighth incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu and as Svayam Bhagavan (supreme god) in his own right.
On this auspicious day, an image of Krishna, richly adorned and besmeared with coloured powder (Abir in Bengali), is taken out in procession, in a swinging palanquin, decorated with flowers, leaves, coloured clothes and papers. The procession proceeds forward to the accompaniment of music, blaring of conch shells, trumpets and shouts of victory.
Birthday of Sri Chaitanya
Dol Purnima becomes all the more significant for Bengalis, because this is also the birthday of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1485–1533). He was a great Vaishnava saint, who popularized modern Sankirtana. He elevated the passion of Radha and Krishna to a high spiritual plane. He underlined the emotional at the cost of the ceremonial side of devotion. Followers of Chaitanya School of Vaishnavism, believe Chaitanya to be the manifestation of Krishna. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu believed that the essence of sadhana is always the loving remembrance of Hari.
According to mythology, ‘Dol Purnima’ also known as ‘Dol Jatra’ is regarded as the festival of the believers of Vaishnavism. Vaishnavism (Vaishnava dharma) is one of the major traditions within Hinduism along with Shaivism and Shaktism.
In Dhakeswari National Temple, Mahanagar Sarbajanin Puja Committee organized worshipping and ‘kirton’ (devotional songs) in the morning. ‘Abir’ (a kind of pink coloured powder) was offered at the feet of idols of Radha Krishna and Chaitanyadeb. Devotees also offered the Abir to god and goddess.
Marking the festival, the entire Dhaka University campus wore a festive look as hundreds of youths irrespective of religion, caste and creed celerated the festival with different colours.
The festival has been introduced marking the auspicious day when Sri Krishna, Sri Radhika and their friends were playing with Abir at Brindaban in the ancient days. (The Daily Observer, dated March 13, 2017)
So, ‘Dol Purnima’ is a Hindu ritual. Other religious faiths do not celebrate it.
The word Hindu was derived by those who came from Western Asia. They identified this land in the name of the river Sindhu. They use the word H more often than the word S, so Sindhu became Hindu. The word Hindu thus begins as a geographical category, Built around this ; the word Hindustan comes up the land on East of river Sindhu. (The Holiday, dated March 17, 2017).
BSF killed 900 Bangladeshis in last decade
Good relations between the border guards can be maintained if the BSF stopped killings of innocent Bangladeshis. As of June 2015, at least 900 Bangladeshis were killed by India’s BSF over the last decade. (The Holiday, dated March 17, 2017).
Bangladesh and India share 4351 km of common border running through five Indian states. The border is used as a route for smuggling livestock, food items, medicines and drugs from India to Bangladesh though India has fenced almost its entire border with Bangladesh. Bangladeshis have been killed at the borders by BSF often prompting objections by the Bangladesh government. Yet the problems continues unabated. (The Daily Observer, dated April 6, 2017).
Our government does not take effective measures to stop border killings. Even the government of India do not regret for it.
Doval conveyed Narendra Modi’s grief
It may be mentioned here that India’s BSF killed one Gobinda Goutam, a Nepalese citizen, some days ago. Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on March 10, 2017 telephoned Nepal Prime Minister Prachanda and condoled the death of a Nepalese man in alleged firing by BSF personnel Sashastra Seema Bal and promised a probe into the incident. Doval, who made the phone call to Prachanda on behalf of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said Indian authorities have initiated a probe into the killing. (Indian Express, PTI, March 10, 2017)
India’s BSF regularly kill Bangladeshis alleging them being trespassers and smugglers. But it appears the victims are usually cattle traders and farmers. People from both countries involve in cattle trade. Some of the Indian aide manage the trade and supply the cattle up to the border where the Bangladeshi cattle traders take the supply and carry along the borders into Bangladesh. So, both the Bangladeshi and Indian cattle traders are responsible for cattle smuggling. But we have not heard that BSF shot and killed any Indian for smuggling.
Farmers work on their land, harvest crop and graze cattle near or close to ‘no – man’s land. Though the BSF claimed that those killed along the borders are not innocent yet they are evidently unarmed.
Unless the BSF stop killings of innocent Bangladeshis along the borders only celebrations of Holi festival together will not help maintain good relations and spread the message of unity among diversity, the the BSF authority should realise it.
