'This is Hindustan, Can't Dance to 'Allah ke Bande' Outside Temple': Here's What's Happening in Tripura

Agartala: A week ago, videos showing a Tripura Bharatiya Janata Party leader asking a social media influencer to undress because he had danced to a song with the word 'Allah' in it near a temple went viral across the state.

On May 18, a locally famous street dancer and YouTuber Sanu Malakar had been performing to the song 'Allah ke bande hasde' when a man identified as a district-level BJP Other Backward Class Morcha leader Tushar Kanti Shil appeared and demanded to know the performer's religion.

Shil is heard in the video, asking the performer to "take off" his pants – ostensibly to check whether he was Muslim.

He is also heard saying that the words “Allah ke bande” cannot be uttered near a Hindu temple. "This is Hindustan, land of Hindus. On this soil, this will not be allowed,” he is heard saying, along with communal slurs. 

While the opposition has condemned the incident and demanded the BJP leader's arrest, police has not acted yet. No disciplinary steps have been taken by the BJP or its OBC Morcha against this leader either.

The Supreme Court had ruled two years ago that in cases of hate speech, police must file suo motu complaints without waiting, irrespective of political or religious identity. 

What happened

The incident took place in Udaipur of the Gomati district, at the open grounds outside a temple's premises.

Over 500 years old, the temple is one of Hinduism’s 51 Shakti Peethas. It is also known as a ‘Kurma Peeth’. ‘Kurma’ means ‘tortoise’ and ‘peeth’ means ‘sacred site’. The temple is situated on elevated land, resembling the back of a tortoise.

This temple, according to official records, places no religious restrictions on entry or worship. It is government-administered, according to the provisions laid down during Tripura’s merging with India. The District Magistrate, regardless of personal faith, serves as the temple's chief devotee. 

The government website for the temple says:

“The temple is known to be the congregation of people from different religions and culture. The unique feature of the temple is that people from any religion can offer Puja to Sri Sri Mata Tripura Sundari. During the middle of the 18th century, Samser Gazi attacked and captured Udaipur. In Gazinama, Gazi's biography, it is said that Gazi himself had offered puja to Devi Tripura Sundari. The temple management committee also comprises of people from various religions, cultures and portfolios.

"It is a custom that even the Muslims of Udaipur offer their first crop and milk to Devi Tripura Sundari. Devi Tripura Sundari is also popular among the Tribal Communities of Tripura.” 

Sanu Malakar (sanu_malakar9847) is a well-known face in the state and is a street dancer. On the day of the incident, Malakar was dancing in the area adjacent to the temple's fence. Malakar often says in his videos that he dances to raise money for the poor. 

The song he was dancing to is a popular one and was performed by Kailash Kher. Its lyrics were written by Vishal Dadlani. The words go: “Allah ke bande hasde jo bhi ho kal phir aayega (O Allah’s people, smile; whatever happens, tomorrow will come again)".

In the videos which have now gone viral, Tushar Kanti Shil, who is the West Tripura district secretary of BJP’s OBC Morcha, is seen approaching Malakar.

“This is Hindustan, Allah is not allowed here. Why did you play this song! Jihadi!” he is heard saying, in addition to the words quoted at the beginning of this article.

Malakar is heard saying, “God is omnipresent…he presents in a temple, he presents in a mosque."

Shil continues his tirade against Islam and is then heard asking Malakar to "take off his pants". Shil eventually asks Malakar to chant "Jai Shri Ram" and "Bharat Mata ki jai". Malakar is heard saying that he is a Hindu and was trying to raise money for the poor with his performances.

Shil, reports said, also insisted that Malakar perform songs written by Shil.

The district magistrate, who doubles as the temple's chief devotee, has not responded to communication asking what action has been taken. The officer-in-charge of the local police station also did not respond.

'Hate speech'

“The Supreme Court, in the Shaheen Abdulla vs. Union of India & Ors case, had clearly directed all states and Union Territories to initiate suo motu criminal cases in hate speech incidents – regardless of the offender’s political or religious background. It said FIRs must be registered without waiting, or else it would be treated as contempt of court,” said advocate Bhaskar Debbarma, who practices in the Tripura high court.

After the incident, the BJP MLA from Bishalgarh – Malakar's hometown – Sushanta Deb, called Sanu and posted their phone conversation online. He encouraged Sanu to continue his social work and claimed to have spoken to a Sub-Divisional Police Officer on the matter. This reporter asked the MLA if police had taken any action but did not get an answer.

The BJP MLA from the Matabari constituency – where the temple is located – Abhisek Deb Roy, did not condemn the incident in an interview to a local channel.  “I will not go into ‘positive’ or ‘negative’. I am not saying about anything the content creator or the one who opposed him," he said.

But, Deb Roy said that next time, legal action would be taken against those making reels or videos, citing a district magistrate's circular from a year ago which prohibits ‘obscene’ content around the temple's idol and premises.

Meanwhile, Tushar Kanti Shil appeared to have been praised by party colleagues in social media posts.

According to social media posts, the matter was “settled” between Malakar and Shil through mediation by a singer, Rajesh Ghosh. Photos showing the two shaking hands were shared. 

Interestingly, Ghosh had previously been suspended from his contractual post with Tripura’s Information and Cultural Affairs Department during the last Lok Sabha election campaign. He was accused of singing at BJP events despite being attached with a  government department. He had also allegedly used the weekly cultural programme which the tourism corporation conducts in Agartala to distribute religious material.

The Tripura Pradesh Congress has condemned and blamed the BJP for Tripura's growing intolerance. Meanwhile, Tripura BJP spokesperson Nabendu Bhattacharjee told The Indian Express: “It is natural that azaan can’t be performed in temples; neither can Durga Puja be performed in mosques. His intention has to be understood.”

Leader of the opposition in the assembly and CPI(M) state secretary Jitendra Chowdhury condemned the incident and demanded immediate police action. He said, “Those who talk about constitutional provisions are the ones being booked.”

Intolerance

Indeed, two men have been arrested in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, for posting on social media on it. 

Jahar Debnath, a retired teacher from Ambassa, is alleged to have questioned the “perceived silence of Hindu deities during the killing of Hindus in Pahalgam” in a social media post. One Kuldip Mondol was also arrested for expressing similar views. 

Meanwhile, BJP Yuva Morcha state spokesperson Amlan Mukherjee posted on social media saying, "Dharmo jar jar, rastra Hindur (Everyone may have their own religion, but the nation belongs to Hindus)”. Mukherjee also called on people to not donate blood to some members of the community. Mukherjee was not booked. 

Another video which went viral in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack showed a man brandishing a knife, threatening to kill minorities and secular Hindus, and boasting about "eating their brains fried, with alcohol." This man, according to reports, was arrested and then given bail.

Recently, BJP MLA and former minister Bhagaban Das said at a gathering in North Tripura: “Rahul Gandhi has the constitution in his hand, and the Quran in his heart.”

Tripura minister Sudhangshu Das, recently speaking to a mixed-religion crowd, stated that Islam dictates to kill others of different faiths, among other inflammatory remarks.

Das’s alleged history of bigoted remarks has been raised in the assembly. Though he deleted a social media post recently, he admitted that he did it because he was told to, "by elders." 

Sandipan Deb, state secretary of the Students' Federation of India, said that these point to a larger pattern of intolerance in the state.

“From Tripura to Madhya Pradesh, for ordinary BJP workers, the pattern is clear and loud. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's ideology has a planned purpose, to destroy social fabric and harmony."

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