Divided by boundary, bonded by mission

Many Muslims helped in the renovation of a mosque maintained by
a Hindu family.

They are neither tied by any blood relation nor by national boundaries. But the families of Basus at Barasat in North 24 Parganas in West Bengal and Ahmeds in Khulna in Bangladesh are tied by a sacred pledge--a religious legacy they have been devoutly carrying on for the last 47 years.

While members of the Basu family has been maintaining a mosque given as a part of the property they received from Seikh Wajiuddin Ahmed with whom they exchanged their property in Khulna in Bangladesh, the Ahmed family religiously takes care of the temple which was annexed to Nirodh Krishna Basu’s house. The district shares its border with Bangladesh.

“During the exchange of property, Seikh Wajiuddin Ahmed requested my father to take care of the mosque and my father gave him a word. After my
father’s death I and my three brothers have been taking care of it,” Nirodh Krishna Basu’s youngest son, Deepak Basu, told Deccan Herald.

“Initially we did it only to keep up my father’s word but now it has become a part of our existence and we cannot think of living without this mosque,” Basu said.

In 1965, when Bangladesh, the then East Pakistan, was torn between religious riots and political strife, Nirodh Krishna Basu decided to return to India. “We had some relatives in Barasat in North 24 Parganas (nearly 50 km from Kolkata) and my father started making arrangement through them so that we can leave Bangladesh and come back to India” Basu said.

“Initially my father had the idea of selling our property at Alka village under the Phultala area in Khulna and buying a property with that money. But fortunately, he found Seikh Wajiuddin Ahmed, who also wanted to sell his property and go back to Bangladesh,” Basu said.

“As we had the common purpose both families decided to exchange the property and we came to Barasat leaving riot-affected Khulna and the Ahmed’s left for Bangladesh,” Basu said.

“I was only 13 years then but I can still recall very well the day when the Ahmed’s left for Bangladesh. Wajiuddin uncle held my father’s hand and told him to take care of the mosque and my father requested him, in turn, to maintain the temple which was on our house premises,” Basu reminiscences.

From that day onwards we have been maintaining this Amanati mosque (as it has been described by local people) which Wajiuddin’s great-grandfather had built some 200 years ago.

“We were riot victims and could have demolished the shrine. But my parents wanted the mosque to be maintained. We felt the same way,” Basu said.

“We all pray to God, whether it is Allah or (Hindu god-king) Ram. Why should there be disputes? We should think rationally,” said Basu, who is in his sixties and a practising Hindu, as he sits next to the mosque on which his family is spending around Rs 60,000 to renovate.

“To be honest enough at the time of renovation many people helped us. Some gave us money and some gave us different things like cement, sand and brick. Everybody came forward to preserve this sacred place. I am thankful to the people of Barasat for their co-operation,” Basu said.

When asked whether they have any information about the temple they left in the hands of the Ahmeds, Basu said; “It is very hard to maintain a relationship when both the families stay far. Some 10 years ago, Wajiuddin’s son Seikh Sirajul Haque came to our house and informed us that they were maintaining the temple. They are good people and we trust them,” Basu said.

However, in an e-mail sent to Deccan Herald, Haque said: “We are happy to inform you that despite some initial problems we were able to keep up our words and we still maintain the temple and people of the locality come here to offer pujas in a regular basis.

We have renovated the temple and have taken all possible steps to ensure the sanctity and the holiness of the temple are maintained. We have also tried to retain the temple in the same manner as it was left by Nirodh Krishna Ghosh so that the heritage value is not destroyed,” the e-mail read.

Every Friday, some 50 to 70 Muslims offer namaz and at the time of the prayer Basu makes sure that he is present. "Though I know the Muslim rituals, I can't offer namaz. I pray to the almighty in my own way. The mosque has given me everything,” Basu who is a ration dealer said.

Basu, who has two sons and one daughter, proudly claims that his children are following his footsteps.

His eldest son, 34year-old Partha Basu, says he will look after the mosque in a town of over 3,00,000 people where Hindus make up around 80 per cent of the population.

"Sometimes I am subjected to criticism. Still I know we are all humans first, and then Hindus or Muslims," Partha Basu says, standing next to the freshly plastered walls of the mosque.

In a world where people are killed in the religion, the Basus and the Ahmeds are really an exceptional lot fighting to carry on a legacy only to prove that
religious diversity is not strong enough to breach human bondage.