Clash between groom’s party & local people, marriage hall at Silchar becomes battle field, 3 injured
পার্কিং নিয়ে মারপিটে জখম ৩, বরযাত্রী ও স্থানীয়দের ঝগড়ায় উত্তপ্ত বিয়েবাড়ি

November 19: Hardly did the groom’s family knew what awaited their fate when they would reach from Borkhala sub-division in Cachar district to Silchar town for the marriage. The bride’s family too were happily waiting for the groom’s party to arrive. The marriage was supposed to be solemnised at Lakkhi Narayan Bibaha Basar, a banquet hall at Silchar National Highway.

Celebration began when the vehicles started arriving towards the banquet hall. The bride’s family members were merrily waiting near the main gate of the banquet hall to receive the groom’s party. The band party were playing their drums and trumpets in full swing. However, just then an untoward incident occurred and the marriage hall turned out to be a battle field.

Video Credit: Jubo Darpan..

The groom’s party who arrived from Borkhala had then just reached the Lakkhi Narayan Bibaha Basar (Banquet Hall) at National Highway, owned and run by one Bapi Panda from Odisha. He also runs another banquet hall by the same name at erstwhile Gopinath Cinema Hall. The jubilant friends and relatives of the groom were parking their vehicles on the roadside at National Highway near the banquet hall.

Video Credit: Jubo Darpan..

Just then, on the issue of parking, quarrel broke out between a local youth and the groom’s party who arrived from Borkhala. Members of the groom’s party alleged that a few more locals came to the spot at once and prevented them from parking their vehicles there. The incident occured at around 10 PM on Tuesday.

A relative of the groom said, “Before we could understand anything, the local guy started to hurl abuses. We tried our level best to convince them. Strangely, they started to speak in extreme slang language regarding us as Muslims. We told them that we were Hindus and even chanted Jai Sri Ram. But they were in no mood of listening. Suddenly the local youth took a log of wood and hit hard on the head of one of us. Being hit hard, the gentleman Bidhu Bhushan Nath, husband of Zilla Parishad Member from Borkhala was profusely bleeding. They also cut the finger of our AP member Bikram Das. Our another companion was also physically assaulted.”

Another member of the groom’s party said, “Things happened so fast that before we could understand anything, the local guys started to beat us. 3 of our companions were seriously injured and were taken to Silchar Civil Hospital. We are new here. We have come for the marriage from Borkhala. The persons also came to break our vehicles. Luckily the police arrived by that time and so the vehicles were saved. How can a marriage hall function without any definite parking place?”

Meanwhile, a huge police force reached the spot. Around 2 persons were also apprehended by the police who took them in a vehicle. Tension mounted inside the banquet hall. In the meantime, Kishore Nath, MLA Borkhala also came to the spot. He tried to convince the groom’s party and asked the police to nab the culprits who physically assaulted the marriage party.

The million dollar question here is that how do such banquet halls in Silchar town gets permission to run their business without making any provision for parking? Lakkhi Naryan Bibaha Basar at National Hghway even does not have any security guards. There were 400 to 500 guests present during the wedding ceremony and so naturally there were a number of vehicles which were parked hither and tither besides the main road.

Speaking to way2barak, an elderly gentleman present in the spot said, “Not only this marriage hall, but almost all the banquet halls at Silchar town are functioning without any designated parking place. Is the district administration and the Municipality blind? Are they not supposed to check these things before giving permission to run the banquet halls? Ishan at Radhamadhab Road, Lakhsmi Narayan Bibaha Basar at both National Highway and near Public School Road, Hashi Khushi and Ashirbad near Circuit House Road, Prabath Bhavan at College Road, Kunjalata at Hailakandi Road are just to name a few without any parking place. Our urban guardian, Municipal Chairman Niharendra Narayan Thakur is busy constructing shopping mall and star hotel at Gandhi Bagh! There is none to take care of the civic issues of the citizens of Silchar. ”