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Kolkata: On June 25, the 10th day of Muharram concluded across West Bengal under an unprecedented, highly regulated and heavily policed atmosphere. Backed by new security directives from the police and a Calcutta high court order restricting Tazia preparation, the state administration enforced a strict ban on weapon displays and DJ music.

Across the state, Muslims observed the festival through silent processions, with some carrying a 100-foot national flag under close drone and armed patrol surveillance. This subdued atmosphere, coming barely 45 days after the maiden Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government assumed power in the state, reflects a growing anxiety within the minority community, which constitutes around 30% of the total population. 

Even before assuming office, the state’s chief minister, Suvendu Adhikari, had explicitly made his administration’s course of action clear, “Muslims did not vote for us, so we will not do anything special for them.” The subsequent wave of administrative interventions reflects the execution of this stance. 

Soon after the government’s formation, these administrative and social pressures spilled into local marketplaces, systematically targeting minority livelihoods. In the Siliguri Bidhan Market area, a group of youths identifying themselves as members of the Hindu Jagran Manch announced over loudspeakers, “Do not buy any rice sack that has ‘786’ written on it!”

Bajrang Dal members going door-to-door in Berhampore, Mushisabad to inspect whether religious rituals and prayers are being conducted correctly. Photo: Collected

While the announcement temporarily rattled the market, rice vendor Debu Saha told The Wire, “Muslim farmers are predominantly involved in paddy cultivation, and we buy rice from them. Customers don’t check which religion’s symbols are........

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