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8 arrested in Bhubaneswar for clashes over food festival during Lunar Eclipse
The last Lunar Eclipse of the year was witnessed on Tuesday and ‘rationalist’ groups claiming to bust superstitions organised food festivals in Bhubaneswar and Berhampur towns
Eight persons were arrested in Odisha’s Bhubaneswar for allegedly attacking the participants of a food festival organised on the occasion of the Lunar Eclipse on Tuesday, police said on Wednesday.
The last Lunar Eclipse of the year was witnessed on Tuesday and ‘rationalist’ groups claiming to bust ‘superstitions’ organised food festivals in Bhubaneswar and Berhampur towns. The events were opposed by activists of the Bajrang Dal and clashes erupted between the two groups.
In Bhubaneswar, a food festival serving chicken biryani was organised in Lohia Academy, a meeting hall, by ‘rationalists’, but another group led by the local unit of the Bajrang Dal reached the spot and tried to stop the feast.
Bhubaneswar’s Kharavel Nagar police station inspector-in-charge Rajanikant Mishra said three first information reports (FIRs) were lodged over the alleged attack on people having chicken biryani at Lohia Academy. “On Tuesday, two FIRs were lodged including the secretary of the Lohia Academy. On Wednesday, a person named Ganesh Das also lodged an FIR on the basis of which we arrested 8 persons on charges of assault,” said Mishra.
The Bajrang Dal members also allegedly threw cow dung at the other group. The police resorted to lathi-charge to bring the situation under control.
Ganesh Das, one of the organisers of the food festival, claimed that they organised the event to prove Lunar Eclipse has little effect on the digestive system. He alleged that the attack was unprovoked. “There is nothing written in the holy scriptures against feasting during Lunar Eclipse. But, the traditionalists are forcing it upon people to follow the rituals blindly,” said Das.
Swarup Kar, one of the persons who opposed the feast, said, “Police have arrested those who opposed people having chicken biryani on eclipse day. But they have not taken any steps against those who attacked Hinduism. If no stringent action is taken against those anti-Hindus, we would intensify our strike and gherao the police station.”
In Berhampur town of Ganjam district, a food festival was organised by a group of rationalists at a school. A group of priests and Bajrang Dal activists clashing tore up the banner and a fight broke out between the two parties.
“We believe in science. We don’t believe in superstitions. Those who are opposing us cannot prove anything through science, so they have come here to attack us,” alleged one of the orgnaises of the event, who did not want to be named.
Ganjam Zilla Brahman Purohit Samiti, which opposed the community meal programme, said the plan to feed people during the eclipse was a direct attack on Hindu religion.
“Some people just want to denigrate Hindu way of life and the community meal during the eclipse is a heinous attempt. We would not tolerate it,” said a member of the Samiti, who did not want to be named.
Meanwhile, an FIR was lodged at Puri’s Singhadwar police station against the supporters of the food festival for allegedly making a slanderous statement against Lord Jagannath.
Puri Shankaracharya Swami Nischalananda Saswati said those who are consuming chicken biryani during eclipse are ignorant.
“Their actions go against the basic tenets of Sanatan Dharma. The very food consumed by those people during the eclipse might be the bane of their lives. People who devise new theories, violating the basic principles, do harm to their own lives and the society at large,” he said.
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