By Abdul Gani, TwoCircles.net,
Guwahati: The statement of Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s (VHP) international working president Praveen Togadia has drawn sharp reactions from all sections in Assam. During his visit to Assam, Togadia asked all the Hindu men to marry four wives.
Local media reported that the Hindu nationalist leader urged every the Hindu man to marry four wives and to have at least 32 children during an event in Silchar town.
He even felicitated 35 couples who have more than eight children as reported by Asomiya Pratidin, the highest circulated daily of the state.
Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi said that people like Praveen Togadia has come to spread hate among the peace loving people of the state.
“Now the public have realized about the reality how all they work. Is this the sign of development and progress?” Tarun Gogoi told reporters in Guwahati on Thursday.
When asked why Togadia was not banned from visiting the state, Gogoi said, “People in general will come to know the real picture of such leaders only when they are allowed to speak. So, we did not put a ban on him,” Gogoi added.
Many in the civil society have said that this kind of mentality will drag the country to the Stone Age instead of making it a global super power.
“First of all, we need to clarify on whose behalf Togadia is making such statement. Is it the reality of the government at centre saying of India to be global super power? We do not want any such division on communalism in the already fragmented country,” said Aroop Jyoti Kalita, chief convener of Axom Jatiya Gana Sangram Parishad (AJGSP).
He also called for modification of the whole thought process of such leaders. “I don’t think putting a ban on such leaders, things can be solved. This kind of mentality will ruin us,” Kalita added.
Senior journalist and former BBC correspondent Subir Bhaumik who has covered the region extensively during his tenure with BBC slammed Togadia for such statement.
“These are mad people whose divisive politics thrives on hate mongering. India needs to control its population, not increase it. Modi will mess up on governance unless he can control this lunatic Hindutva fringe. Everybody in India needs to be encouraged to have family planning, Hindus and Muslims and all else and we would soon need a two child law across the country,” Bhaumik said.
Guwahati based senior journalist Dhiraj Kumar Sarma termed Togadia’s statement as ridiculous. “It’s just another hilarious statement coming from the VHP president, who keeps on making headlines for all wrong reasons. In contemporary times, the entire world is making strategy to curb population explosion to boost development. So his statement serves no purpose, except instigating the people of particular community. This is in fact a counter – productive strategy,” Sarma said.
Togadia has been known for such statements which might kindle hatred among the communities. He was even banned from entering Bangalore earlier this month
The police commissioner and the district administration of Guwahati and Nalbari district have banned Prabin Togadia to take part in two public rallies imposing 144 Criminal Procedure Code on Thursday.