With more than 12 members, the joint family of Narayanghat businessman Krishna Bandhu Piya, 78, has been living happily enough. [break]But of late, the stirrings of ethnic conflict have started bothering the family. While they feel that their bonds of family remain as special and strong as ever, they just wish they could cry out the word ´unity´ and put across the message that caste does not matter.
“You can see all kinds of faces in my family: Aryan, Mongolian, national, international. My two sons married across caste while my daughter has done so right cross into another country. And yet we are a single joint family, as you can see,” Piya said.
“It is very disturbing to see people trying to disturb communal harmony; my family would be shattered if its members start supporting their respective ethnic groups,” he added.
Piya is quick to place all the blame on the political leaders for the chaotic situation in the country.
“The ethnic communities have been living together since ages back. But they are now trying to divide us for their own political gain,” he said. He commented that if these differences keep growing, it will definitely bring conflict into families like his.
Mallu Mahato, who is 100 years old, tells a similar story.
His sons have married Bharmin girls while a daughter married a Dalit man. Despite all this, Mahato´s family was always been united as one.
“I think our leaders do not how to lead. As a result, they are creating problems rather than steering the country toward development,” he said.
Mahoto has not only embraced his son- and daughter-in-laws but has also lovingly raised foster-sons who belong to different communities. “Can I discard my family now for not belonging to my own particular caste or community?” he asked.
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