Even as reports of violence and conflict from West Bengal’s riot-hit district continue to come in, this story is testimony to the strain of humanity and brotherhood still alive in the region.
In riot-hit Basirhat, one ambulance was used to transfer a Hindu and a Muslim man to a hospital in Kolkata. The person who held the saline drip for both of them was the son of the Hindu victim, Kartik Ghosh.
Ghosh’s son Prabhashish admitted both victims to the hospital. On Thursday morning, Kartik Ghosh, succumbed to his wounds at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
Brotherhood Amid Communal Discord
Ghosh was seriously injured after being attacked near Taitra Paikpara village by a violent mob. The second victim, Fazlul Islam, also from the same area, is now on his way to recovery. He says, “We were doing well, living together. Why did this happen?”
On Wednesday evening, Kartik Ghosh’s son Prabhashish admitted Fazlul Islam to RG Kar Hospital and saved his life. Islam is now praying for Prabhashish and his family from his hospital bed.
The story of Fazlul and Prabhashish portrays a picture in contrast to the one we have seen of Basirhat, that is of communal violence and bloodshed.
Today, somehow, Fazlul Islam has been able to get up and sit on his bed in the ENT unit of the hospital. The left side of his face is still bandaged and his eyes are swollen. He is not able to speak clearly.
Below, in the street outside the hospital, rages a dispute between the BJP and Trinamool politicians about who can claim Kartik Ghosh’s body
Suddenly, Fazlul sighs. This gravely injured man knows that he is alive today only because of the timely action of a Hindu boy. Sitting up on his hospital bed he says:
They (the Hindus) are very good people. The gentleman (Kartik Ghosh) was very badly injured. Last evening, his son took his father and me from Basirhat Hospital in an ambulance and brought us both here.
No Ambulance Driver Wanted to Drive Through the Riot
Islam was on his way home on Wednesday after downing the shutters of his chicken shop in Paikpara. On the way he got caught in the violence. The police were firing shells to bring things under control. Unfortunately, one of the shells hit Fazlul Islam. With the police’s help, Islam was able to reach Basirhat Hospital.
Kartik Ghosh also had a chicken business. The 65-year-old was on his way home after delivering a chicken near Basirhat Chourasta (a big junction in Basirhat). That’s when he came face to face with an angry mob. His son says:
My father wore a band of Tulsi beads around his neck. That gave away his identity as a Hindu. The mob attacked him, hit him on the head with their knives and broke his arm. He was thrown into the bushes by the road and lay there for quite some time.
Prabhashish adds, “When I got to know, I got there as fast as I could, got hold of an ambulance around two thirty in the afternoon and took him to Barishat Thana (police station).”
The doctors in Basirhat administered first aid, but also told Prabhashish that if he wanted to save his father’s life, he should be taken to the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital immediately. Given the tense circumstances in Basirhat, no ambulance driver was prepared to step out.
Risked His Life To Save a Muslim
Ghosh’s son says, “Somehow, I fell on my knees, begged, and got an ambulance by the evening.”
I got to know that there was another seriously injured man, Fazlul Islam. Both needed to be taken to the hospital in Kolkata. But no one was able to trace anyone from his family. So, I took him along in the ambulance as well. I held the saline drip for both my father and Islam all the way from Basirhat to Kolkata.
Asked why he took the risk of bringing these two injured men to hospital at a time of increased tension and violence due to polarisation along religious lines. What if there had been more trouble on the way? Prabhashish said these concerns didn’t occur to him.
Given the condition my father was in, I knew that it was likely that we wouldn’t be able to save him. But if I had left that other gentleman, Fazlul, there in Basirhat Hospital, anything could have happened to him.
Prabhashish goes on to say, “And if anything bad had happened, I would never be able to forgive myself. That is why I brought him to Kolkata.”
Believe Me, We Don’t Want All This: Fazlul Islam
The doctors at RG Kar were surprised when they saw Prabhashish admit both his father Kartik and Fazlul Islam to the hospital on Wednesday evening. After getting Kartik Ghosh admitted, Prabhashish also made arrangements for Fazlul Islam’s CT Scan.
It is only when Fazlul Islam’s relatives reached the hospital that Prabhashish handed over all responsibilities for his treatment to them.
On Thursday morning, Prabhashish’s fears came true: his father succumbed to his injuries. Islam, who was recovering in the ENT ward, heard this news and has since been very disturbed.
Islam said:
I have often shared a plate of food with Hindus. Even now, if I call out for help, fifteen Hindu boys will come to my aid in the village. How something on the Internet caused all this trouble, I cannot imagine. Believe me, we don’t want all this. I feel terribly sad for that gentleman (Kartik). I pray to Allah for peace.
Will Fazlul’s prayers reach those who are against the spirit of humanity?
(This piece has been translated from Maitrayee Bhattacharjee’s original piece, which first appeared in the Bengali newspaper ‘Ei Samay’, published by the Times Group. Maitrayee Bhattacharjee is a Senior Correspondent at ‘EiSamay’)
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