KOKRAJHAR, May 8: Sensation prevails especially among the Hindu followers in Jogdoi area under Fakiragram Police Station in Kokrajhar district following the crushing down of a statue of Lord Shiva by miscreants suspected to be from the minority community.
The chief priest of Shiva Temple at Jogdoi Ratneswar Ray narrated before the media–persons about the repeated attack on Hindu temple. He recounted that the temple has been assailed for four times till today that hurts the sentiment of Hindu followers. He said the temple was squashed down during the 2012 communal violence in lower Assam between the ethnic Bodos and the migrant Muslims and again the temple has become the target this year too as the miscreants broke down the left hands of Lord Shiva on the night of May 6 last and the Shiva Linga was also smashed. He also said the statue of the cow near the Lord Shiva is also displaced from the temple to a nearby rest house.
Ray said that the Shiva Temple was built ten years ago and Hindu followers from different communities use to worship in the temple but the frequent attack on the temple on the basis of religion has hurt the sentiment of the people in Jogdoi area. He said he used to offer prayer in the evening everyday and as usual, he offered prayer in the temple on May 6 in the evening but next day he found that the left hand of the Lord Shiva has been shattered by miscreants. He also reiterated that the miscreants wrote Arabic mystical number 786 inside the wall of Shiva temple which clearly indicates the involvement of a particular community.
The villagers say that they got the Shiva Temple only ten years back as a donor constructed the temple for the Hindu worshippers of the locality. They also said they got the Lord Shiva statue in the temple that brings the magnificent religious unity and social fabric but the attack on the Hindu temple for four times has exposed the indifferent attitude of the religious predators. They demanded that the holy shrine of the Hindu should be protected as it has nothing to do with any violence.
Local sources said that an FIR has been lodged at Fakiragram police station but till today neither a single miscreant has been identified nor arrested. They also alleged that the Police were not plucky to act against the perpetrators. The Police official of Fakiragram said that they have been conducting inquiry over the incident and they will find out the culprits behind the incident. Meanwhile, the local people have doubt over the action of the Police as they failed to arrest and punish the culprits involved in the earlier attacks.
It may be mentioned that the entire area is dominated by minority community people. The only one Bodo village is surrounded by minority community. The area has some people of Rajbongshi community. A peace meeting was also held on Thursday to defuse the possible tension in the area. The people of the region appealed not to attack on religion based violence and called for respect to every religion.