No matter what Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi terms Moulana Badruddin Ajmal, the Islamic clergy and chief of the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), is more a demigod than a political leader in most of the religious minority dominated areas of the State.
The volunteers of the AIUDF not only have to handle the crowd when Moulana Badaruddin Ajmal addresses them, but also have to handle the crowd after Ajmal leaves the venue to ensure that all the needy people get some share of the water turned holy by Ajmal.
People come in huge numbers not only to listen to what Moulana has to say to them but to collect the holy water, which they believe to have healing powers.
People walk for miles, some with their infant kids held to their bosoms just to have a glimpse of the ‘Holy Man’ and to have at least a little share of the water turned holy by Ajmal by mere whispering on it.
“I am lucky to get a little of the water turned holy by Moulana Sahab today. last time also I tried to collect the jara pani (holy water) when he came here about one year back. However, the rush was more and I could not get even a single drop,” said a happy Sahara Begum, who came to attend to Ajmal from her village Duramari Char, located over 15 kms from Nagarbera on Wednesday.
In these areas the jara pani or the holy water cast spell by Ajmal is regarded no less than Zam Zam, the holy water collected by those who go to Mecca to perform Haj. Ajmal came to Nagarbera to campaign for AIUDF candidate in Boko constituency, Gopinath Das.
“People not only like him. He is like a God for many of us. Every time, Ajmal Sahab addresses a rally in any of the places, there is huge rush by the people to collect the water cast spelled by him. We have to literally struggle hard to control the crowd and to ensure judicious distribution of the water among them,” said Ayub Raja, one of the volunteers at the AIUDF rally organized at Nagarbera on Wednesday.
Jahan Uddin a resident of Mil Par village area in Nagarbera under Boko legislative assembly constituency also collected a little bottle of the holy water. “We always have a bottle of this holy water in our house. Ajmal Sahab is like a God and people say the water whispered by him can cure any diseases,” I have not seen anyone getting cured by this water. “However, if there is no truth in it why would so much people come to collect the sameIJ” he questioned.
It may be mentioned her that Ajmal has claimed that his party will be the kingmaker in Assam this time and that no party will be able to form a government without his support. Ajmal’s claim assumes significance considering the fact that the BJP has already forged an alliance with the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and the Bodoland Peoples’ Front (BPF).