Amidst the festive fervor of Durga Puja across West Bengal, a series of violent attacks, vandalism, and arson have targeted traditional book stalls set up by left-wing political parties near various puja pandals and fairgrounds. Left parties including the CPIM, CPI, Forward Bloc, and SUCI have accused individuals posing as BJP supporters of orchestrating systematic attacks to suppress their long-standing cultural presence. Seeking urgent legal remedy and protection, the CPIM filed a formal petition in the Calcutta High Court on Monday. Upon an urgent mentioning by the party's legal counsel, Justice Parthasamarthi Roy scheduled the hearing for Tuesday.
For over six decades, left-wing political formations have maintained a continuous tradition of setting up book stalls across Kolkata and various districts during the autumn festivities. This cultural practice remained uninterrupted through successive regimes, including Congress, Left Front, and the incumbent Trinamool Congress governments. However, CPIM leadership alleges that following the state's political transition, BJP leaders have become increasingly intolerant of communist literature and public outreach. According to the left parties, senior BJP figures had previously issued veiled and direct threats demanding the removal of these stalls, and the current wave of violence is a direct execution of those directives.
The gravity of the situation escalated further during the auspicious days of Maha Ashtami. On Monday, a CPIM book stall within the jurisdiction of the Chatterjeehat police station in Howrah was violently ransacked and demolished. A formal written complaint has been lodged with the local police station regarding this incident. Prior to this, similar acts of vandalism were reported from Jadavpur and Haridevpur in Kolkata, as well as Domjur, Salkia, Phulia, and Haldia. In Jadavpur, miscreants even attempted to deploy a bulldozer to crush a book stall, but were forced to retreat in the face of fierce resistance put up by determined CPIM and CPI activists.
Beyond simple structural damage, attackers have resorted to arson, setting fire to precious books and literature displayed at these stalls. This brazen attempt to disrupt a decades-old democratic and cultural tradition has sparked widespread condemnation among intellectuals, authors, and ordinary citizens. Left leadership has strongly criticized the alleged inaction of local law enforcement agencies, accusing them of allowing perpetrators to operate with impunity. With the matter now before the judiciary, all eyes are turned toward the Calcutta High Court as the legal proceedings commence on Tuesday to determine the constitutional bounds of political expression and public safety during major religious festivals in the state.
