Inter-faith romance between a minor boy and a girl triggered fresh waves of tension at Boxanagar area in Tripura on Saturday after relatives of the girl stormed into the house of her alleged lover Saiful and reportedly thrashed Saiful and his parents. Aggrieved members of the girl raised ‘love-jihad’ complain against Saiful and his family.
According to local sources, the affair, which started almost five years ago when both the boy and the girl were around 12 years old, had already caused resentment among the locals.
“Several times in the past local people intervened and tried to rescue the girl from clutches of ‘love-jihad’. Parents of the girl strongly resisted the relationship. As the situation did not change, at one point of time, local Police also intervened. However, all attempts failed”, neighbours of the girl said and alleged Saiful persistently tried to lure the girl every time locals and relatives succeeded to make the girl understand the love-jihad.
Simmering resentment at unabated insistence of the boy, relatives of the girl today went to the house of Saiful. Altercation turned bitter as Saiful’s parents asked girl’s relative to control their own child. According to Saiful’s family members, girls relatives ransacked the house and also beaten Saiful as well as his parents.
Meanwhile, community members of Saiful got the information and started gathering at his house. At this point, situation seemed to be slipping out of hand as aggrieved family members of the girls withdrew them and started returning without causing much damage to house or without seriously injuring Saiful and others.
However, the incident threatened to disrupt harmony and poised to trigger bitter confrontation.
Saiful and his family members are shifting the onus on girl’s family members. They are also blaming the girl and accusing her of creating pressure on Saiful to continue the relation. Contrary to their claims, girl’s neighbours and relatives are terming the relation as an example of ‘love-jihad’ and alleged, Saiful is luring the girl.
Whatever be the realty, it is true that romance between these two minors of different religions has created serious ripple which if not addressed properly immediately may explode, locals claimed.