India Tomorrow

Ranchi, July 2— In another incident of growing thuggery in the name of Ram, an elderly Hindu street vendor near Masjid Mod area in Jamtara district of Jharkhand was asked by car-borne youths to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’. He chanted. But assuming him a Muslim as he was wearing kurta-lungi and standing near a mosque, the miscreants again and again asked the elderly man to chant the slogan. As he refused and instead recited a part of Ram Charitra Manas that teaches love and harmony the goons fled the scene.

According to a report in the Hindi daily Bhaskar, the incident took place on Sunday.

The youths were in a black car and crossing Masjid Mod locality where street vendors were selling fruits and daily items on both sides of the road. While other vehicles were passing through the lane, the youths in the black car asked the elderly street vendor Lal Mohan Yadav (whom they didn’t know) to keep his cart away from the road for smooth passage. The elderly man told them that all other vehicles are passing easily and their car will also pass through. At this, they got angry and came out of the car and got engaged in heated argument with the elderly. He was speaking politely. They then asked him to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’. He recited it once. They threatened him and asked him to repeat the chanting. He refused and instead began reciting a quatrain from Ram Charitra Manas and explained to them that the relgion of Ram teaches us that we should not have ill-will aginst any and those who love Ram do not spread hatred and discrimination, rather remove them. As soon as he finished the quatrain, the goons fled the scene.

Just 10 days ago, 22-year-old Tabrez Ansari was mercilessly assaulted by a mob on theft suspicion in another district of the state. The mob had also forced him to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’. Three days later, he died as his condition worsened in jail.