"Lord" Curzon in his attempt to supress the protests against the British rule, extended support to Islamic fanatic, Khwaja Salimullah, the Nawab of Dhaka. In February 1904, Curzon had already seduced Salimullah to support the Partition of Bengal. Curzon’s government gave him a loan of ₹ 14 Lakhs at an extremely low interest rate in return for his support at quelling the protests against the Partition of Bengal.
Salimullah began with his action-plan to provoke Hindu hatred in the Muslim community. He recruited a fanatic named Ibrahim Khan, who authored and published a anti-Hindu proclamation called LAL ISHTEHAR which was an open incitement of the Muslims against the Hindus.
Lal Ishtehar read – “ Ye Muslims Arise , Awake ! Do not read in the same schools with Hindus. Do not buy anything from a Hindu shop. Do not touch any article manufactured by Hindu hands. Do not give any employment to a Hindu. Do not accept any degrading office under a Hindu. You are ignorant, but if you acquire knowledge you can at once send all Hindus to Jehannum( Hell). You form the majority of the population in this province. The Hindu has no wealth of his own and has made himself rich only by despoiling you of your wealth. If you become sufficiently enlightened, then the Hindus will starve and soon become Mohammadans.
Lal Ishtehar also contained a poem recalling the glories of Arab military conquests in India and elsewhere, and to revive the same glory here and now.
On 4th March, riots broke out in Comilla, now in Bangladesh. Rape, arson, loot were common in that period. Hindu remples were desecrated, images broken, shops plundered, and many Hindu widows carried off. Some of the towns were deserted, the Hindu population took refuge in “pukka” houses (i e., house with brick in stone walls), women spent nights hidden in tanks, the crime known as “group-rape” increased.
Ibrahim Khan, the author and publisher of the hateful Lal Ishtehar, was tried and released on “personal recognisance bond of ₹ 1000/-“ and a warning by the District Magistrate of Mymensingh.
Our text books have no mention of Lal Ishtehaar and Comilla riots. History of killings of Hindus was either distorted or hidden. Bengal at present times is again captured in the clutches of Hindu hatred under the evil leadership of Mamata Banerjee. There is still time to save Bengali Hindus from another Lal Ishtehar.
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