There are visits that leave you shaken. And then there are those that change you forever.

My recent visit to the violence-hit areas of Murshidabad and the relief camp in Malda, West Bengal, was not just a fact-finding mission. It was a human awakening – raw, emotional, and unforgettable.

I walked into a school-turned-relief camp in Malda, now a temporary home for hundreds who fled Murshidabad to escape religious violence. It was supposed to be a place of learning; today, it echoes with cries of fear and loss. Women ran to me – many sobbing, many silent with pain too deep for words.

One young mother approached me, her newborn cradled in her arms. As she gently handed me the baby, she said, “I had decorated my house to welcome this child into the world. But now, my baby’s first breath is in a relief camp. My house was burned down before he could even see it."

I held the infant, and I held back tears. How do you respond to such grief?

The camp lacked basic dignity. Toilets were few and filthy. There was no proper access to menstrual hygiene, no privacy for young girls,........

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