M F AHMAD
Daltonganj, June 14: A Sadbhavna Sabha (harmony meet, not a routine peace committee meeting), the brainchild of the Sadar SDO Rajesh Kumar Sah went on till late in the evening of Monday in the premise of the town thana Daltonganj, has rekindled the hope that harmony in Palamu will not be missin g.
However, sources said all eyes were on the number of leaders and functionaries coming from the BJP in the Sadbhavna Sabha.
According to sources, the number of participants of the BJP officials was far less. The women wing of the BJP stayed away completely from the Sadbhavna Sabha.
Palamu district BJP president Vijayanand Pathak was conspicuous for his absence from the Sadbhavna Sabha.
Lagatar24.com correspondent spoke to Pathak around 10.20 pm on Monday to know why he was not in the Sadbhavna Sabha.
Pathak said, “I was informed about it as late as 5.30 in the evening of Monday. It was Sadar SDO Rajesh Kumar Sah who phoned me when he did not see me in the Sadbhavna Sabha”.
Pathak said it was too late for him to join and so as he said he rushed in his district general secretary Shyam Babu to attend the Sadbhavna Sabha. “Shyam Babu did attend it,” Pathak asserted.
Shyam Babu was asked how he felt going to Sadbhavna Sabha and how he liked the concept of the meeting to which he reminded, “Our party’s tagline is sabka saath, sabka vikas aur sabka vishwas.”
He said harmony among the communities is a key to a nation’s success. Shyam Babu did not give any speech as he came at the fag end of the Sadbhavna Sabha.
Another conspicuous absentee from the Sadbhavna Sabha was Mangal Singh, the deputy mayor of the Medinirai Municipal Corporation and a dedicated leader of the BJP.
Mangal Singh when approached by lagatar24.com last night said, “I am away from Daltonganj and will be back only on Tuesday evening.”
There were none of the top office bearers from the VHP, Bajrang Dal, Sri Ram Sena, Sri Parshuram Sena, Jamait-e- Islami Hind, Christian organization, Sikh Organisation etc, said sources.
Sources said the Sadbhavna Sabha had not even two dozen people which raised the eyebrows of many who try to bring harmony and peace and amity to the society.
The empty chairs outnumbered the attendees of the Sadbhavna Sabha which was a situation that was never witnessed here in the past ten years.
This wafer-thin attendance in the Sadbhavna Sabha here portends ill-boding for the coming two occasions of the Muslims who have their Bakrid and Muharram in just coming months.
Sadar SDO Rajesh Kumar Sah declined to make any comment on important personalities giving a miss to the Sadbhavna Sabha. He only wished everyone should work for harmony in society.
Sources said there was no laxity in the communication regarding the intimation of the venue, time etc hours ahead of the Sadbhavna Sabha on Monday evening here, nevertheless, many who matter in the mechanism of harmony just preferred to skip it.