As the walls of religion rise across the country, Taslim Sheikh's book stall at the Raas Mela in Cooch Behar tells a story of harmony.
The 70-year-old man sells the Bhagavad Gita, Ramayan, and Mahabharat in front of the temple of Madanmohan — the clan deity of the Cooch Behar royal family — on the north side of Bairagi Dighi in Cooch Behar city.
The septuagenarian sits at his sidewalk stall amid the crowd of the Raas Mela with a trimmed moustache, a long white beard and calm eyes.
“They call me ‘uncle’ probably as a mark of respect. Despite being a Muslim, I sell the Gita at my stall with other books, which are inseparable from the Hindu religion. I have always regarded the other religion, which is perhaps the reason they (Hindus) come to my stall and buy religious books,” he said.
The senior citizen, a resident of Sahebganj of the Dinhata subdivision, around 50km from here, has been selling Hindu religious books for the past 40 years.
At the Raas Mela, which started on November 5 and will end on November 19, the Gita is prominent in his stall. His shop is lined with rows of various editions, including the Shrimad Bhagavad Gita. The Bengali Gita to the Gita Press's translation, the Gita with the Ramayana, the Gita-Tattva and Bengali explanations of the Gita are available at his shop.
“It is not just business for me in the name of religion. I have read the Gita. I have learnt to develop generosity by reading it and other religious books,” he added.
Sheikh averages a sale of around ₹8,000 per day during the Raas Mela.
Books apart, he sells colourful illustrations of scenes from the Ramayan and the Mahabharat, and prints of Hindu deities including Lord Shiva, Goddess Durga, Lord Krishna, Lord Hanuman, Lord Ram and Lord Ganesha.
Sheikh lives with his wife Zayda Bibi, daughter-in-law and grandson. His son, Jewel Haque, is a migrant worker in Delhi. He bears the bulk of household expenses by selling religious books at fairs and pavilions.
Jhuma Bhattacharya, a teacher who bought books from his stall, said: “It is interesting to see an old Muslim man selling the Gita. But what is even more important is his humility, his humanity.”
Adrija Ghosh from Baneshwar, who bought a Gita booklet, said: “When the country is engaged in conflicts over religion, this stall stands as a symbol of harmony in Cooch Behar. This is the face of our true Indian consciousness.”