Furfura’s medieval shrine is the epicentre of Muslim politics in Bengal

Teeming with hundreds of individuals who journey right here in a whole lot of automobiles, Furfura, a village in West Bengal’s Hooghly district, about 50 km from Kolkata, transforms each Friday morning into a serious pilgrimage centre. Before the afternoon prayers, individuals queue up at the mazar (shrine) of Hazrat Abu Baqar Siddique (1846-1939), a outstanding peer (holy individual) of the city. While locals hesitate to say how previous the tomb in a light-weight inexperienced shrine with golden domes may be, they agree that this is the second most outstanding mazar in the nation after Ajmer Sharif in Rajasthan.

Over the previous a number of elections, politicians have been visiting Furfura Sharif to supply prayers, and meet the members of the family of the peer to hunt their blessing and assist. This election season, the visits have began fairly early, even earlier than the dates for the polls had been introduced, and political events are already placing up their flags and posters right here.

On January 3, 2021 All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi visited Furfura Sharif and met Abbas Siddique, the peerzada and secretary of Furfura Sharif at his office-cum-residence just a few hundred metres away from the shrine.

Confluence of teams

Furfura Sharif was the first cease Mr. Owaisi made throughout his go to to Bengal earlier this month, and the assembly generated quite a bit of consideration in political circles. It grew to become the first occasion of the coming collectively of the minority Urdu-speaking and majority Bengali-speaking Muslims of the State. The AIMIM chief unequivocally introduced his assist for Abbas Siddique in the upcoming Assembly polls. “I realised that if I have to make the Majlis (AIMIM) flag strong, I have to pay obeisance to Furfura Sharif,” Mr. Owaisi had stated.

Fridays are additionally the days when Mr. Siddique, a younger peer, is not addressing rallies in the close by districts of south Bengal, and meets individuals and followers in and round Furfura. While he admits that the assembly with Mr. Owaisi was fruitful and even factors at the room in which they met, Mr. Siddique lays emphasis on the creation of a Muslim tribal entrance in the State.

“We are in the process of forming a Muslim tribal front in West Bengal and are in talks with several groups, including Left parties and the Congress. The meeting with Mr. Owasi is also a part of a series of meetings we are having,” he stated.

The non secular chief claimed that he would announce the entrance by the finish of January, and that the entrance would put up candidates for about 100 seats. Identifying these 100 seats unfold throughout a number of districts of the State, Mr. Siddique stated that there have been 60 to 70 seats the place Muslims can be a deciding issue in the ballot end result, and tribals can be a decisive drive in the remaining 30 to 40 seats.

Elections to the West Bengal Assembly with 294 seats are scheduled in the subsequent few months. The State has a 27.01% minority inhabitants as per the final Census performed in 2011. The minorities in the State have overwhelmingly supported the Trinamool Congress since 2011.

Trinamool blamed

Asked whether or not this entrance wouldn’t break up the Muslim votes and assist the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Mr. Siddique stated there was a not a single flag of the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) in West Bengal earlier than 2011. “It is only because of Mamata Banerjee that the BJP has been able to have a foothold in the State and the very existence of Muslims is at stake,” the non secular chief, surrounded by his supporters, stated.

In one other hour, the quantity of individuals gathered outdoors the newly constructed home had swelled. Some amongst these gathered advised that Mr. Siddique ought to come to Murshidabad and that there have been many supporters ready to hitch him. The younger peer is all the time surrounded by supporters who document on their cell phones each phrase he speaks in public or to the media.

Almost a kilometre earlier than the entry to the village, a vibrant and towering construction is arduous to overlook. Toha Siddique, one other consultant of the household, is holding his each day durbar. Scores of individuals, together with just a few youths, who will be a part of a madrassa run by establishments of Furfura, are ready for his blessing.

“Furfura is not a place for political activity, it is a place of religion. Abbas Siddique is young, but we will not allow any development that will malign the image of the place and help communal forces,” Toha Siddque stated.

Scepticism about Owaisi

The middle-aged non secular chief straightaway makes a degree on the assembly between Abbas Siddique and Asaduddin Owaisi. “Owaisi is an agent of the BJP, the whole country knows about it. You are all aware of what role he played in Bihar,” he stated. Toha Siddique dared his cousin Abbas Siddique that if the latter acquired into the subject of politics, he mustn’t cry foul when somebody commited a foul.

The developments at Furfura have created ripples in Kolkata. Representatives of the Imam Association of Bengal issued an announcement saying that Muslims in Bengal couldn’t be divided. Md Yahya, the president of the Imam Association, focused Mr. Owaisi and stated that some sections had been attempting to create a divide amongst Muslims, which the individuals of the State would by no means enable.

The individuals at Furfura are additionally tight-lipped on the topic of whom they’d assist when members of the Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddique are divided on political strains.

Significance of Furfura

According to West Bengal Tourism Department, the mosque at Furfura was constructed by Muqlish Khan in 1375 is a website of Muslim pilgrimage, particularly throughout the “peer mela”. The Muslims of this area, it is believed, are mainly Ashrafs, descendants of Muslims who invaded Bengal in the 14th century.

Sabir Ahamed, a well known social and political commentator, stated that the historical past of Furfura stretches again to the early medieval interval. “Along with religious significance, Furfura and its peers have contributed immensely in field of education. The holy place is visited by Muslims not only from West Bengal but also from the adjoining States and the northeast,” Mr. Ahamed stated.

Many madrasas in the area had been constructed 5 to 6 centuries in the past, and it was the dedication of the non secular leaders of Furfura Sharif to social reform that is the purpose for the big assist base of Furfura Sharif, Mr. Ahamed added.