Arson, Intimidation and Communal Targeting Mark BJP Takeover of Bengal |
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Kolkata: Even before the Bharatiya Janata Party government took oath in West Bengal, fear had already begun to settle over several Muslim neighbourhoods and working-class settlements across the state. From threats of eviction near railway tracks to reports of harassment at stations, colleges, mosques and markets, the initial days after the political change have been marked by deep uncertainty for Bengal’s Muslims.
As Suvendu Adhikari was being sworn in amidst much pomp in central Kolkata, The Wire visited the residents of Basanti Colony in Bidhannagar – a settlement with equal parts Hindu and Muslim residents. Many were trying to figure out whether they would still have a roof over their heads in the days to come. Local BJP leaders have allegedly threatened residents of the colony, located beside the railway line, with eviction.
Rupa Biswas, an eatery owner who lives in the area, said, “The place where we live is state land. Our local BJP leaders have told us that now we will have to leave the area.”
On the same day, this reporter saw a young man gathering a few members of the colony and telling them that he has spoken to the “higher ups.”
“The houses will not be removed immediately,” he said.
For families already living under fragile bamboo-and-tarpaulin shelters, the message was clear. Survival would now depend on political alignment. A resident, who did not wish to be named, said, “There are 250 families living here. We vote for whoever is in power. Till now we were with Trinamool Congress. Now we will become BJP. Otherwise, where will we get shelter?”
Bidhannagar Colony. Photo: Joydeep Sarkar.
Just a few feet away, at the Bidhannagar Road station, nearly 200 railway hawkers who have worked there for years are also facing eviction. On May 5, the Railways issued a notice saying that all hawkers’ stores would be removed.
Rajib Majumdar, the leader of the Railway Hawkers’ Union, told The Wire, “The same party is in power in the state and the Centre, and it is evicting both the adjacent slum and the hawkers at the same time. We met the Railway authorities and requested them to withdraw the decision. They have temporarily put it on hold.”
The fear is not limited to homes and livelihoods. For many Muslims, even moving through public spaces has become a source of anxiety. Videos trickling in through social media show a dismal and worrying picture. A video from Sealdah station shows an elderly Muslim couple breaking down in tears after allegedly being harassed over their religion.
In Howrah’s Domjur, at the Azad Hind Fauj Smriti Mahavidyalaya on May 5, Rajib Mohanta, a local BJP supporter, reportedly declared, “No female student will be allowed to come to college wearing a burqa.”
Reports from Azad Hind College suggest that students are facing intimidation and fear allegedly at the hands of BJP-backed miscreants, with Muslim women students being particularly targeted and harassed. At a time when assurances of peace and normalcy........