'Outcast' by fatwa, back into society after 45 years

For the first time since independence, the Hindu community of Mahishkhocha village in Lalmonirhat's Aditmari upazila yesterday set foot in restaurants and tea stalls at the local bazaar and tasted the food and drink.

Around 220 people of 50 Hindu families belonging to the Vaishya caste had been facing discrimination for the last 45 years due to a fatwa (religious edict), which prohibited them from entering any eateries of the bazaar.

However, things changed after Aditmari Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Jahurul Islam stepped in and made sure that the illegal fatwa is ignored.

He said he came to know about the matter from the victims who appealed to him for help. He was shocked to know that such discriminations still existed in this modern era.

“I called a meeting with local public representatives, businessmen, alleged fatwa enforcers and locals at Mahishkhocha Bazar to stop the illegal practice,” said Jahurul.

“I took some Hindu people with me and sat with them inside tea stalls and hotels.”

“If anyone tries to impose the fatwa again, I will conduct mobile court drives against them,” the UNO asserted.

Although the locals could not say who issued the fatwa against the Hindus, they said the fatwa had been in effect since independence.

They alleged that some local goons, led by Mahishkhocha union parishad member Abdul Mazid Hosot, had been enforcing the fatwa that the Hindus should not be allowed entry to any of the around 50 tea stalls and restaurants in the bazaar, only 100 metres from the village.

Refuting the allegation, Mazid said he was not responsible for the fatwa, but it had been in place since independence.

This practice brought shame on the community people whose relatives even refused to visit them, as they were also not allowed entry to the eateries of the bazaar.

“No one from our caste in other areas wants to marry our children or build new relationships because of the fatwa,” said Sumitra Bala Das, 56, a bamboo product maker.

Fifteen years ago, these people could not even sell their dairy or agricultural products to others in the village due of the fatwa, said Faniram Das, 42, a milk trader of the village.

He recalled how local thugs poured milk on him and harassed him in public after he tried to sell milk in the bazaar.

In the last 15 years, 12 Hindu families sold their land at a very low price to the local influential people and left for India, said village elders.

Dhaniram Chandra Das, 48, another member of the community, claimed that the fatwa had more to do with land than with religious sentiments of the Muslims in the area, most of whom are followers of Ahle Hadith.

He said Mahishkhocha village is the district headquarters of Ahle Hadith. “Some people imposed the fatwa soon after independence only to buy our land at a lower price.”

Unable to bear the constant harassment, the community members sent a letter to the UNO on April 10, requesting him to look into the matter.

Shubhas Chandra, 34, a rice trader, said he could not go inside any tea stalls or restaurants in the bazaar until yesterday.

“I went to Shahbuddin Mia's hotel with my two Muslim school friends today [yesterday]. For the first time in my life, we sat together and had snacks and tea,” said a smiling Shubhas.