A Janmashtami celebration in Kolkata’s Motinpore area, which was started around six decades ago by a Muslim social worker and was later jointly organised by Hindu and Muslim residents, has undergone a major change this year. The celebration, which once brought people from both communities together, is now being organised exclusively by Hindus.
The change has emerged as a sharp departure from the event’s long-standing interfaith character and has also brought differences of opinion among people associated with the celebration.
A Celebration Started by a Muslim Social Worker
The Janmashtami celebration in Motinpore began around 60 years ago when a Muslim social worker named Kashim started the event.
Although the celebration later faded, it was revived by Muslim youth after the Trinamool Congress came to power in 2011. At that time, both Hindu and Muslim residents were involved in organising the festival and participating in its rituals.
The celebration is now entering its 58th year and is organised by the Kidderpore Samaj Kalyan Samity. Former mayor Firhad Hakim is among those associated with the organisation as a patron.
From Joint Celebration to Hindu-Only Event
For years, the organising committee included members from both communities.
M Alam, a Trinamool Congress leader and former office-bearer of the committee, said there were around 20 members, with roughly half of them being Muslims. According to him, members of both communities had earlier celebrated Janmashtami together, distributed prasad and ensured that the rituals were properly followed.
This year, however, the composition and functioning of the celebration have changed.
At the venue, a large saffron-and-white pandal was being erected. An organiser described the change as a clear shift from the previous arrangement, saying that Muslims had played a role in controlling the Janmashtami event until last year, while this year it was being conducted exclusively by Hindus.
He described the change as a form of “cleansing activity.”
Rakesh Singh Defends the Change
The shift has been driven by BJP’s Rakesh Singh, who won the April assembly election from the Port constituency, which includes Motinpore.
Singh claimed that Muslims no longer have a role in organising the event. He also argued that Janmashtami is a Hindu festival and should be conducted by Hindus.
“We cannot demean traditional culture. People from other religions should definitely visit pandals, but it is our duty to protect our religious activities. Janmashtami should be performed by Hindus only,” Singh said.
His position marks a clear departure from the way the celebration had traditionally been organised in the area.
A Wider Push to Preserve Hindu Culture
The change comes after an outreach programme by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) to Durga Puja organisers in nearby localities about a year ago.
The outreach urged organisers to focus on preserving Hindu culture and heritage. It also called for avoiding distortion of deity images and preventing non-vegetarian food inside pandal areas, citing concerns about spiritual purity and cleanliness.
The Janmashtami organisers’ decision this year appears to follow this broader emphasis on maintaining what they consider traditional Hindu practices.
A Festival With a Long Interfaith History
The history of the Motinpore Janmashtami celebration makes the current change particularly significant.
The festival was originally started by a Muslim social worker, later revived by Muslim youth and for years involved members of both Hindu and Muslim communities.
People from both communities had participated in the rituals, worked together through the organising committee and shared prasad during the celebration.
That long-standing arrangement has now changed, with the event being presented as a Hindu-only celebration.
For a festival that began nearly six decades ago through the efforts of a Muslim social worker and evolved into a shared community event, this year’s transformation represents a significant break from its earlier tradition.
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