By Zaidul Haque, TwoCircles.net,
Kolkata: Cinema Hall can be a Haj training Centre? Government officials of Murshidabad District have selected a cinema hall for Haj pilgrims to give them Haj training. ‘Mitali’, a crowdie cinema hall of Beldanga has been selected for Haj training on 10th July, 2012 for Haj pilgrims of Murshidabad and Nadia districts.
Secretary of local Haj Assistance Committee Haji Md Nuruzzaman told TCN that, West Bengal State Haj Committee has arranged to give Haj training to pilgrims of Murshidabad and Nadia. Some 1690 Haj pilgrims from Murshidabad and 297 Haj pilgrims from Nadia districts are to be trained in 4 centres in Murshidabad, Baharampur, Islampur and Beldanaga each for one day only. But unfortunately Beldanga Centre has been selected in a running Cinema Hall.
Replying to a question by TCN, Haji Nuruzzaman said, local Block development Officer and Minority Welfare officer chose `Mitali’ cinema Hall for Haj training on 10th July, 2012. He has protested and appealed to change the place, because Hajis do not want to go to cinema Hall to get Haj training. There has no arrangement of Wazu or clean places for Namaz or sufficient water and toilet for Hajis. They recommended the local Jalilpur High Madrasa as a Haj Training Centre or Beldanga college at least. Local BDO and Minority Welfare Office told, Cinema hall is finally selected, they cannot change. They advised to contact District Magistrate in this regards. `After getting the information we contacted district Magistrate of Musrshidabad to change the training place.’
Haji Nuruzzaman said, naturally Hajis of Murshidabad and Nadia are not willing to attend the Haj training Centre at Beldanga. So we are worried about the Haj training. A number of Haj Pilgrims requested us to change the place and protest against the district official’s decision.
TCN talked to Chairman of the West Bengal State Haj committee and MP Haji Nurul Islam. Haji Nurul Islam told TCN over telephone: “I got informed about the Haj training Centre placed in a Cinema Hall in Beldanga. A cinema Hall cannot be a place of Haj training centre. I directed to Executive officer of State Hajj Committee Mr Motaleb Ali Sarder to change the place immediately. At any cost we cannot allow a cinema as a Haj Training centre.” Haji Nurul recommended the nearest Jalilpur High Madrasa as a new place of Haj training centre instead of a Cinema Hall.
TCN also contacted Mr Motaleb Ali Sarder, Executive officer of State Haj Committee and director of Minority Welfare Department of West Bengal in this regards. Mr Sarder told TCN that today government offices are closed. I got direction from State Haj Committee Chairman & MP Haji Nurul Islam. On Monday I will send the official letter to Murshidabad district official to change the place and select the Jalilpur High Madrasa in Beldanaga. When I got information that, a cinema Hall has been selected as a training centre, I told the district official to change the place. Now I officially will serve the letter to direct them for changing place from Cinema Hall to Jaillpur High Madrasa.”
Several Muslim organizations have protested against choosing Cinema hall for haj pilgrims training centre. State President of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind Md Nuruddin, AIUDF state president and Jamiat Ulama leader Maulana Siddiqullah Chowdhury, Md Sahood Alam of All India Milli Council, State President of Popular Front of India Md Sahabuddin told TCN that, they protest against this decision of selecting a cinema hall as Haj training centre. They also said, government official should be aware to select the place for haj Training centre. Madrasa and Mosque should be in their priority list for Haj training. They demanded the government to select such place where haj pilgrims can be taken for haj Training without any hesitation and which has Islamic ritual facilities, like places of Wazu, Namaz etc.