A young guy named Abdul Kashem Ali was detained in a troubling incident that caused outcry in Goalpara, Assam, for reportedly producing an offensive film that targeted Goddess Durga and the female devotees present at the idol immersion ceremony. The event happened soon after thousands of devotees from all around the state peacefully submerged Goddess Durga idols as part of the visarjan rite.
The community was shocked to see a video on social media of Kashem Ali, a resident of Dubapara Disappearchar under the jurisdiction of the Mornai police, making disparaging remarks directed towards Goddess Durga and the female devotees, despite the customary reverence and harmony associated with the occasion. The video gained tremendous criticism as soon as it went viral. Concerned residents quickly requested that Ali be targeted by law enforcement by filing a First Information Report (FIR) at the Mornai police station. But as the public’s discontent mounted and no quick arrest was made, hundreds of people gathered outside the police station to demonstrate, calling for justice and denouncing the authorities’ lack of response.
The police located and arrested Kashem Ali at his home with the help of the locals due to the worsening scenario. Community members complained after the arrest, highlighting how the video’s content offended women in addition to being disrespectful to the deity, inflaming tensions between social and religious groups. In an effort to establish an example that would discourage similar acts in the future, the police gave the public assurances that the situation would be handled harshly and that measures would be taken to achieve justice.
