Jalandhar:- In a press statement issued here today, the conveners of the Anti-Operation Green Hunt Democratic Front, Dr. Parminder, Professor A.K. Maleri, Buta Singh Mahmudpur and Yashpal, have strongly condemned the vandalization of the more than 100-year-old tomb of Baba Bulleh Shah in Mussoorie, Uttarakhand, by the self-styled protectors of Hinduism. They said that the humanitarian poetry and philosophical contribution of the famous Punjabi Sufi saint Baba Bulleh Shah from the perspective of common humanity has a prominent place in the secular, fraternal tradition of Punjab, which questions religious fundamentalism.
Their popular poems, which strongly challenge religious fanaticism, caste discrimination and superstition, emphasize on illuminating one's personality through deep love for humanity, self-knowledge and rising above religious hatred and connecting with one's faith. The fragrance of the high-class humanitarian poetry and compositions composed by Baba Bulleh Shah is embedded in every grain of Punjab soil. Due to this very humanitarian quality, these religious fanatics cannot digest them and they are feeling unsafe even from the existence of a tomb built 100 years ago.
Self-styled custodians of Hinduism like 'Hindu Raksha Dal' deny the common secular heritage by spreading the lie that his grave is in Pakistan. His tomb will not stand here on 'Devbhoomi', says the great philosopher Baba Bulleh Shah for the communal forces, who are only Muslims and want to destroy the entire great heritage by declaring it as belonging to another world.
The collusion of the police and administration is clear from the fact that the tomb was demolished by communal goons with prior announcement, the police did not take any notice of it and despite clear identification, the culprits were not arrested. The video clip of the demolition of the tomb and its sharing on social media shows how much the communalization of the state machinery and the state and political patronage of such anti-human incidents have emboldened such elements.
The communal mob is not the only culprit for the demolition of Bulleh Shah's tomb. The main culprit is the notorious Chief Minister Dhami, who has created this toxic atmosphere by continuously giving provocative speeches and whose government is creating communal divide by spreading hatred and continuous false information against the Muslim minority.
The leaders of the Front have appealed to all secular, justice-loving forces to build a widespread protest movement against this heinous act and for this purpose, to attend the discussion being held at the Patriotic Memorial Hall, Jalandhar on January 30 at the invitation of the Patriotic Memorial Committee.