Time makes us forget - forget our history, our heroes, our triumphs and our biggest tragedies. In this 75th year of the great cleansing in Noakhali - we must remember all those we lost and why we lost. Read on to pay homage to those who are gone, so they are remembered once again
O HOW WE FORGET !!! We forget our tragedies and our victories !!! We forget our dead !!! We forget our martyrs !!! We forget our heroes !!! We forget our demons !!! BUT WE MUST REMEMBER - All those we lost. All those we forgot - our ancestors and our martyrs
The monsters of Jinnah’s muslim league failed in Calcutta & Dacca – failed to rid the city of Hindus. They, then, set their eyes on the sylvan, green groves of the hinterlands of Bengal – the place that had only 18% Hindus – NOAKHALI.
A quite place, far from cities and government, Noakhali was administratively isolated. It was situated at the confluence of two rivers – The Meghna & The Padma and that made its isolation complete. Overwhelming muslim population, uneducated poor citizens and isolation made Noakhali an ideal place to execute and complete the experiment that failed in Calcutta & Dacca – The experiment called Pakistan – Land of the pure – uninfected by the Kaffir Hindu.
Post 16th August, 1946, Jinnah’s Direct Action Day, Bengal was in throes of violence, Calcutta was burning, its streets lined with naked corpse of Hindu women hung on meat hooks+, its drains were choked full of hundreds of men butchered by the mobs led by muslim league leaders. The violence was too organized to remain confined to Calcutta (Info on Calcutta Riots of 1946). The next day on 17th, violence spread to Dacca (Dhaka). The trigger was the rumor that Hindus have massacred ALL muslims of Calcutta. With this rumor, massacre of Hindus started in Dacca (Dhaka). The violence raged through the two major cities of Bengal. The hinterlands of Bengal couldnt stay untouched for long. Most vicious genocidal violence was witnessed in the villages of Noakhali and Tipperah (Comilla) districts. Purpose was once again – racial cleansing of Hindus.
Pir Golam Sarwar (a.k.a. Gholam Sarwar Hossein) was the scion of a prominent muslim family of Sufi Pir or Peers. Pirs of this family were the custodians of Dayra (Dera) Sharif, a sufi shrine in Shyampur (current day Bangladesh) and claimed descent from the first family of the mohommedan faith. He started his political career on the back of farmer movement through Krishak Shramik Party. After loosing to muslim league, he resigned from his old party & joined the muslim league. Here he was given a free hand to radicalize muslims of the area and spread the idea of pakistan. He formed a personal militia called Miyar Fauz (aka Miya ki Fauz). Members of this militia were drawn from his numerous madarsas and from the militant wing of the muslim league – Muslim National Guard
The organized nature of violence was similar to Calcutta and Dacca’s genocidal riots. And much like them, the violence started much before than the infamous date of 10th October 1946.
Lt. Gen. Sir Francis Tuker, of the Eastern Command Head Quarters at Calcutta received reports, indicating tension in the rural areas of Noakhali, Comilla and Chittagong districts, a week after the Great Calcutta Killing & six weeks before the riot of Noakhali. No action was taken by the British Police or the muslim league government of Bengal. Things were allowed to fester.
Under the league minions like kaseem & religious leaders like gholam sarvar hosseni, targeted violence had started long before 10th October. It started with boycott of Hindu establishments, constant harassing of women, throwing garbage into temples and beating up anyone who protested. Some examples of this violence –
It was 29th August 1946, the day of Id-ul-fitr. After prayers, a rumor was spread that Sikhs & Hindus were killing ALL the muslims everywhere. The infuriated muslims poured out their masjids and homes, armed with weapons – stones, clubs, swords and they attacked Hindu establishments in Noakhali. Boats of Hindu fishermen were scuttled and burnt. Similar rumors were spread in other towns and villages. News of similar violence came from there too. Son of a local Hindu politician in Babupur village was attacked and beaten to death. Waylaying Hindus, looting them, raping the women started but news of these crimes were prevented from coming out by the local muslim league administration
THE ATTRITION TEMPLATE
The template violence was not unique – it had remained unchanged for over 1400 years. Even now in the 22nd century the same template of jihadi violence is repeated again and again – Kashmir to Kolkata to Kerala to Kairana.
In Noakhali, the violence followed a well defined pattern – First the Hindus faced extortion – pay the local mollah, then came the subscription – subscribe to the muslim league, pay the party. Those who paid were assured to be spared. (This promise was almost never kept). Those unable to pay often had to pay with their daughters and women – who were forced to become concubine or worse face public rape in front of the village. Next was the demand for surrender of all arms – even a small knife or a scythe left un-surrendered meant death for the entire family. As soon as all the money had been extorted Everything of value was removed form the Hindu household – This was followed by arson – setting the house on fire using kerosene or petrol. Even when life of the Hindu family was spared, their property was not.
Violence unleashed by the gundas of muslim league went unreported and no action was taken by the League’s Bengal government. Proof of the violence on the Hindus of Bengal is a letter (in the British records) by Lord Wavell (Viceroy of India) to British MP Baron Pethick Lawrence, that clearly states that over “300 Hindus” have been “killed in the moufsil towns of Bengal. I am afraid if “Direct Action Day” by the muslim league started, a large number of Hindus there would be massacred.”
In the Ramganj and Begumganj police station areas, the muslim boatmen refused to ferry the Hindu passengers. In the first week of September, muslim miscreants looted the Hindu shops in Sahapur market. The Hindus were harassed and molested when they were returning to their native villages from Calcutta to spend the Puja holidays.
THE VICIOUS RUMOR
Rumor & Propaganda were the main weapons of muslim league. These weapons were expertly wielded by Gholam Sarwar & Kaseem. Sarwar had his Miyar Fauz and Kaseem had his Kasemer Fauz to force compliance and spread the rumours.
One more very malicious rumor was spread since Jinnah’s call of Direct Action Day. This rumor had the muslims of the region salivating with lust and greed. The muslims were told that with the creation of Pakistan, the Hindus would leave Bengal (soon to be Pakistan) and their houses, business & factories would be handed over to the muslims. The Hindu wealth too, would be handed over to the muslims. BUT the rumor that really fired them up was the rumor that the muslims will get the fair Hindu women. They would be allowed to take the beautiful Hindu women as sex slave, who would be treated as Maal-e-Ganimat (war booty)and distributed among the muslims. (How and why would the Hindu men leave their women behind was something none of these people(?) bothered to think)
INDIFFERENT POLICE & APTHETIC HINDU ADMINISTRATION
The presidents of the various local union board were muslims. Local police, much like that of Calcutta, had been surreptitiously staffed with afghans imported from Peshawar etc. The Superintendent of Police was muslim and he continued to play down complaints by various members of the Hindu community. He refused to intervene in cases of muslim violence against Hindus. He was totally subservient to Gholam Sarwar. The police and the administration were poisoned by the communal propaganda spread by Sarwar & muslim league. The Hindu administrators and police too are complicit. They stand accused of Dhimmitude, of apathy & cautious indifference. They were too careful not to offend their muslim officers. They were so enamored with the idea of pleasing the muslim community that they ignored pleas of help from Hindus. The District Magistrate was a Hindu N.G. Ray. He was transferred out of Noakhali and was scheduled to leave on 12th October. He ignored pleas of Hindus (led by Hindu Mahasabha) to stay as long as possible. He left the district 2 days before his scheduled departure (10th October – the very day the massacre started).
The 10th October 1946, was a day of piety and celebrations, it was Kojagari Lakshmi Puja. This was also the day of unbridled violence and bloodshed. After the prayers, Gholam Sarwar gave a sermon in Shahpur Bazar and issued a call of Jihad. The crowd maddened by religious zealotry streamed out of the mosque. This outpouring of momins was not an unorganized affair. It was a well planned excursion, executed with military precision. The major roads were submerged and many Khals were overflowing cutting villages from each other. The shankos (bamboo bridges) were manned by miyar fauz, denying Hindus access to these life lines. Sarwar’s Miyar Fauz streamed out of his masjid and seminary and met up with Kaseem’s Kasemer Fauz. Calls of –
Source:- 1946, The Great Calcutta Killings; DC Sinha, A. Dasgupta pg 207
THE HINDU KARBALA – The massacre that defined Noakhali Genocide
These two militia moved moved to the house of Rai Saheb Rajendralal Chowdhury of Cowdhury badi, Karpara. He was the president of the Noakhali Bar Association. He was attacked first because Rajendralal had help organize defense of various villages and Hindu mohallas. Gholam Sarwar needed to make an example of Rajendralal and he issued orders that Rajendralal’s head be presented to him. To enflame his follower’s hate, Sarwar had claimed that Swami Tryambakaanad, a guest in Rajendralal’s house, had said that he will perform puja with muslim blood. Rajendralal sent a SOS to Ramganj police station but the thana chief was a muslim and had been ordered by Sarwar to wait in the boats. On the way the mob set fire to the KALI TEMPLE in the bazar & cut the sacred banyan tree (Kali gach). All the Hindu shops were looted and burnt.*
After burning the Shahpur bazar, the mob divided itself into 3 sections. One proceed towards Ramganj bazar, the other looted Hindu shops in Dasgharia bazar and burnt the THAKUR MANDIR. The third section attacked the Katchery of Surendra Nath Bose, the zamindar of Narayanpur. He fought valiantly but when his bullets ran out, his katchery was stormed and burnt. He was killed and his body thrown in the flames. 5 other members of his Katchery were also killed and burnt.**
A HEROIC RESISTANCE AND A BEHEADING
After their gluttonous violence of 10th October & murder of Surendra Nath Bose, it was the turn of Rai Saheb Rajendralal Chowdhury. It was 11th October at 8:00 am in the morning when a small band of 30-40 rioters attacked his badi (House). They were shouting slogans of “Allah-o-Akbar & Hindur Rakta Chai”. Rajendralal & his son met the attackers and counter attacked killing 3 attackers. The mob ran away to seek reinforcements. This time they attacked with a mob of no less than 10,000, all mad with lust for Rajendralal’s blood.
In his badi, men women and children of neighboring houses had taken refuge. Upon the attack, Rahendralal barricaded all the women and children on the roof, while he and his men took up positions to defend their home. One Kali Prasanna Raut, used his gun – a muzzel-loader, to successfully defend the badi but after a few hours his ammunition ran out. By that time he had killed 30-40 rioters and injured several hundred.
NOTE – Kali Prasanna Raut was caught, dragged with a teta (many pronged fishing spear with sharp hooks) and finally killed in the most gruesome manner.
After the firing ceased, the rioter returned and set the badi on fire with help of petrol & kerosene. They started throwing stones and bricks on the women and children on the roof. As the fire spread, one part of the building collapsed and crushed those inside the house and those who were on the roof. This dystopian scene happened in front of Gholam Sarwar, who was leading the mob. By 4 pm their defense had broken down completely. As the women cried for help, one Ledu Sheikh, a client of Rajendralal came up and assured the trapped men & women that Baromiya (Gholam Sarwar) & Chotamiya wanted to talk to Rajendralal and that Baromiya had prohibited further killings and he assured, on oath of the holy book, of their safety.
Sarwar ordered ladders be put up. The women and children were brought down from the roof. All the male members were stripped naked, tied to a bamboo tree and butchered by a daos. Rajendralal too was beheaded and his head presented to Gholam Sarwar.
THE WOMEN
Nearly all the attackers were of the villages and known to Rajendralal’s family. Among them – Ledu Sheikh, Shamsul Haque, Abdul Rashid, Khalek, Sikandar, Kala Miya, Muslim Maji, Abdul Lasem, Doctor, Abul Hossan Chowdhury etc attacked the women, looted them of their ornaments and then taken away (raped and killed). His two daughters were taken in a procession to the Shahpur High School, where they were raped. One of them managed to escape while the other was taken to the Shahpur Bazar and murdered***
The poor girl who escaped had a worse fate in store. No Hindu gave her shelter nor did they meet her tearful pleas for some poison (to end her life). Such was the terror these muslim mobs had instilled in the hearts of the Hindus through sustained violence. She then invoked refuge from one of her attackers, a schoolmaster. He called her sister and then betrayed her. This schoolmaster, kept her confined in his house for a few days (her fate during the captivity can be guessed). She was moved from place to place for some days and then finally when they got bored with her, she was murdered in the flooded rice fields near Khalispara.
“Worst of all was the plight of women. Several of them had to watch their husbands being murdered and then be forcibly converted and married some of those responsible for their deaths. Those women had a dead look. It was not despair, nothing so active as that. It was blackness…….the eating of beef and declaration of allegiance to Islam has been forced upon many thousands of as the price of their lives” Muriel Leister, Member of Relief Committee sent to Noakhali wrote on 6th November, 1946,(V.V. Nagarkar – Genesis – p 446)
The above words are a testament of the horrid experiences that Hindus, especially Hindu women, had to suffer during those genocidal days.
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