Religious Leaders Appeal for Peace Amidst Communal Unrest in Sunsari

Janakpurdham. Madhesh Province's Hindu and Muslim religious leaders have appealed for maintaining peace without being divided in the name of religion, regarding the communal riots that occurred between two sides in Captainganj, Devanaganj Rural Municipality-3, Sunsari. They have accused some individuals of trying to incite riots by infiltrating in the name of religious extremism in a society where various religions and communities have lived together since ancient times. Religious leaders have emphasized the need for both sides to unite, realizing that human existence comes before religion. Mahanta Anand Ram Das, priest and Mahanta of Sankatmochan Temple in Janakpur, expressed the view that no one gains anything by rioting in the name of religion and it is best for all parties to unite. He said, 'Thousands of people come to the temple, we do not look at caste or religion, we do not discriminate.' He stressed the need to show similar examples in society. He clarified that just as a garden has various species of flowers, society also has people of various communities, and the village, society, and ultimately the nation become strong through their unity. 'No matter what religion a person follows, the blood is red,' he said, 'The attire may be slightly different, but the life is the same for everyone.' He appealed to everyone to stop looking down on or verbally abusing each other, regardless of whether they are Hindu or Muslim. Principal of the Madrasa in Janakpur Sub-Metropolitan City-6, Mufti Razaullah, clarified that no religion in the world teaches fighting each other. 'As humans, we must first behave with humanity,' he said, 'Behind the violent incidents seen now, some unemployed individuals, who have no work, are engaged in such activities at the instigation of someone, after being fed and entertained.' He suggested that the government should be vigilant and pay attention to whether they are receiving funds from somewhere to carry out such activities, and whether they are trying to deliberately cause riots. Mahanta Manisdas Vaishnav of Janakpur emphasized that the government machinery should identify those who disrupt religious tolerance and incite riots and bring them under the purview of legal action. He stated that such incidents are occurring repeatedly because action is not taken. He mentioned that in Dhanusha as well, in recent years, he has seen attempts by both sides to clash during the immersion of Durga Puja idols, Saraswati Puja idols, and during Muharram, and emphasized that both communities should respect each other's religions. 'Incidents happen, it is the responsibility of the state to quell them,' he said. Muslim intellectual Maulana Rahmati Ali emphasized that the government should learn from the current incidents and be vigilant to prevent such incidents in the future. He stated that if such sporadic incidents are not stopped in time, the situation could become even more dire in the future. Clarifying that such incidents do not benefit any community, he said, 'This is a society where we have lived together for centuries, and there is no alternative but for both sides to live together to continue this.' Ali clarified that in Islam, it is considered faith to remove a stone or nail seen on the road, thinking that it could harm passersby. Religious leaders in Janakpur point out the need for all parties to be vigilant to prevent the disruption of social harmony.