Bangladesh unrest: 12th gen priest of 583-year-old Kali mandir says ‘won’t leave temple & motherland’ | Dehradun News – Times of India

Shekhar Lal Goswami offers prayers at Sri Sri Siddheswari Kali Mandir in Dhaka on Friday (Left), Goswami (in blue) with students at the temple in Dhaka (Right)

DEHRADUN: Shekhar Lal Goswami, 73, a 12th generation family priest of the over five centuries old Sri Sri Siddheswari Kali Mandir situated at a prominent locality in Dhaka, says he won’t budge amid all the violence and reports of attacks on the minorities in his country. “I won’t leave this temple come what may… I’ve seen worse,” Goswami told TOI on Saturday.He lives with his two uncles, son and family, in his house next to the temple in Siddheswari lane near the capital’s busy Mouchak Bazar.
The septuagenarian recalled the incidents when he was “abducted twice from the 583-year-old temple by Pakistani troops in 1971, before going on to join the Mukti Bahini force to fight in the liberation war that year, with the assistance of the Indian Army“.
‘Was blindfolded, bundled into jeep by Pakistani troops in 1971’
When I was abducted the first time, I was around 20-years-old and was offering prayers in front of Maa Kali in a priest’s attire. It was April 17, 1971. I was blindfolded and bundled into a military jeep by Pakistani troops. I’d then given up hope of returning alive. But they released me. Eleven days later, the troops took me again. They wanted to instil fear to make me flee my land… But then I came back alive both times due to Maa Kali’s blessings,” said Goswami, adding that he then crossed over to Agartala in Tripura for “arms training”.

“I had gone there with eight others including my elder brother and friends. After training for around 45 days, we returned to fight the Pakistani troops and ultimately succeeded to free our motherland with all the other great freedom fighters,” Goswami, who had five siblings including three sisters, further said.

After independence, he pursued automobile engineering and worked for many years abroad, mainly in West Asia. But as fate would have it, he again faced a volatile situation in 1990, this time in Kuwait during the first Gulf war.
“I was working in Kuwait at that time and had to return home eight days after the war broke out. Next year in 1991, we faced communal violence in Bangladesh after which my family went to neighbouring India… They insisted that I join them, but I stayed back.

Finally, after retiring at 65, I started dedicating my time to Maa Kali in this temple as its priest after taking over the charge from my uncle. Since then, I have been serving here. So, I’ve seen a lot. I’ll never leave Bangladesh and would want to die in my motherland,” he said. Notably, the temple is at present being guarded by a group of students including members of the majority community, who said they’ve “vowed to protect the man and his mandir.”

One of them, Abrar Faiyaz, 26, a student of international affairs in Dhaka University, told TOI: “We are a group of 35. I’ve my friends Robin Mojumdar, 25, and Muztahid Abrar Siddique, 26, with me in this endeavour. We’re guarding the temple and neighbourhood in shifts of three hours and sub-groups of 10-15 people. We’re vigilant and won’t allow anyone to disturb the peace and communal harmony of the area.”