Kolkata, 8 February (H.S.): Cases of Love Jihad are on the rise in West Bengal. Recently, Swapna Haldar from Murshidabad district suddenly went missing. Just six months ago, she had graduated from Baharampur Krishnanath College and was funding her education through private tutoring. She was the eldest sibling in her family. On January 26, a complaint about her abduction was filed.
Lieutenant Dr. Ranjan Bandyopadhyay, an RSS volunteer and co-coordinator of Dharma Jagaran Samanvay (Madhya Bang Province), has been actively working to prevent Love Jihad incidents. He shared several key insights on the matter.
Q: In which areas is Love Jihad more prevalent?
A: It is spreading across the state. Even poor Nepali and Bhutia girls are being lured by Muslim men. The highest number of cases have been reported from Malda in North Bengal, Purba Bardhaman in Central Bengal, and Howrah in South Bengal. The rise in Bangladeshi Muslim infiltrators over the past few years has exacerbated the problem.
Q: What measures are being taken to stop Love Jihad?
A: Organizations like Hindu Jagaran Manch, Vishwa Hindu Parishad, and Dharma Jagaran Samanvay are consistently working against this issue. We receive an average of 2,500 to 3,000 cases every year. The number of unreported cases is estimated to be at least double. Last year, around 3,000 cases came to us, and we managed to rescue 311 girls. However, due to a lack of proper infrastructure and resources, we couldn’t do much in many cases.
Q: What kind of infrastructure challenges do you face the most?
A: Providing shelter for rescued Hindu girls, arranging for their rehabilitation, facilitating their remarriage, or securing financial aid for legal proceedings—these areas lack a structured plan or proper infrastructure.
Q: What are some recent cases of Love Jihad?
A:
1. Anamika (BA Second Semester Student, Manikchak College)
Went missing on January 22.
Belonged to a poor Brahmin family.
Accused Sheikh Sirajul is from Chandpara village and works as a labor supplier in Kerala.
She was rescued from Pukhuria police station, but by then, she had already converted and undergone Nikah.
2. Arnabi Ghosh (Kharinan, Nadanghat Police Station Area)
After passing higher secondary, she fled to Kharinan.
When we tried to rescue her, there was violent resistance.
Her father died of a heart attack within a month due to the shock.
By then, she had already converted to Ayesha Siddika.
Her younger sister was immediately placed in Lalita Hostel, Bethuadahari, for safety.
Q: How self-sufficient do the rescued girls become?
A: We try to enroll them in schools, colleges, or vocational training programs to help them become independent. However, many challenges still remain in this direction.
Hindusthan Samachar / S P Singh
