Sonai's Dhonehori socially boycotts two residents for taking part in election as BJP's agent, imposes fine, issues Farman

Sonai’s Dhonehori was the only zone in Cachar that had to go for a re-poll. After bullets were fired at the Dhonehori LP School Polling station on April 1, the Election Commission of India ordered a fresh poll at the centre on April 20.

The locals of Dhonehori area alleged that BJP candidate and the incumbent MLA, Aminul Haque Laskar had himself opened fire at the centre. However, Laskar rubbished the allegations and the Police also could not validate those either.

In the aftermath of the incident in Dhonehori, the locals held an informal meeting between the residents and decided that nobody should take part in the election on behalf of the BJP. Like a dictator’s diktat, it was penetrated throughout the village with a warning that the violators will be punished severely. Two individuals, who are active members of the BJP and were trusted as the polling agent of Aminul Haque Laskar under the provisions in the law of the land, were warned specifically.

The warning was unconstitutional. Both Rajonmoni Laskar and Nazmul Haque Choudhury decided to follow the Constitution and not the mob that pretends to be the supreme power. They took part in the festival of democracy – general elections to Assembly as the agent of BJP candidate. But now they are forced to pay a price.

After the re-poll, residents of the Dhonehori area held a meeting and decided to socially boycott both of them. It is the holy month of Ramadan and all the followers of Islam offer a special prayer – Namaz-E-Teraweeh in the evening. The two have been denied entry into any mosque in the eight nearby Hamsaya (Neighbourhood). Not only that, a fine of Rs 5 lakh has been imposed on Rajonmoni Laskar and Rs 2 lakh on Nazmul Haque Choudhury.

Accordingly, a Fatwa-type Farman has been issued against the two individuals. It states that the president of eight Hamsaya (Neighbourhood) decided to socially boycott Rajonmoni Laskar and Nazmul Haque Choudhury for “participation in antisocial activities and working against the benefit of the Village.”

As dictated in the Farman, vegetable vendors, fishermen do not visit their house, local stores do not sell them any groceries and the mosques do not allow them to enter for prayers. Living in isolation in the holy month of Ramadan is bothering the two families and eventually, they went ahead and lodged a Police complaint at the Sonai Police Station.

Rajonmoni Laskar, in his Police complaint, alleged that activists of AIUDF are behind all this. He mentioned that the AIUDF cadres and supporters are forming unlawful Assembly forcibly entered their house with a copy of the decisions taken in their meeting started to demand payment of Rs 5 lakh. “The accused persons started to threaten me and my family members saying that if I do not pay the amount, all my family members will be murdered in front of my eyes and my house will be gutted to fire,” Rajonmoni Laskar wrote in his complaint.

The Officer-in-charge of Sonai Police station, Akbar Ali confirmed that an FIR has been lodged and a case has been registered under sections 147, 149, 448, 384, 427, 506 IPC. “We are investigating the matter and action will be taken against those found guilty,” said the Officer-In-Charge.

India is a democratic country governed by the Constitution. In India, calling election an anti-social activity in itself is a crime. It is astonishing that a group of individuals have hijacked the entire system and are printing documents with signature as a testimonial of their unlawful activities. According to sources in the Cachar District Administration, the deputy commissioner Keerthi Jalli has spoken with the Superintendent of Police, Bhanwar Lal Meena about the chain of events in sensitive Dhonehori.

While the printed document (Farman) is being penetrated as a fatwa, actually, it isn’t one. According to clerics, a fatwā is a nonbinding legal opinion on a point of Islamic law given by a qualified jurist in response to a question posed by a private individual, judge or government. A jurist issuing fatwas is called a mufti, and the act of issuing fatwas is called iftā. In the case of Dhonehori, it was not issued by Mufti but by few local residents.