Book stalls at Durga Puja pandals bear the brunt of Left versus Right face-off in West Bengal

Restrictions and attacks on book stalls set up by Left parties at Durga Puja pandals have become the latest flashpoint in the West Bengal politics. The development has come to the fore when the West Bengal government faced considerable criticism over painting flyovers in Kolkata and then trying to scrub off the paint and install anti-skid barriers when a few motorbikes skidded on a city flyover.

The practice of having book stalls at Durga Puja pandals has a long tradition. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) and other Left parties do not directly associate themselves with the ritual aspect of the Durga Puja, and these stalls are not only a way to popularise their ideology but also to connect with the people.

A Single Bench of the Calcutta High Court had directed the State government to allow such a stall at Bongaon on Thursday. However, the Division Bench Chief Justice Ravindra Vithalrao Ghuge and Justice Shabbar Rashidi stayed the order on Friday after the State government challenged it.

Single Bench Judge Saugata Bhattacharyya, in his order on Thursday, observed that dissemination of different political thoughts and ideologies is welcome in democracy since it makes the democracy fruitful, deep-rooted and mature. While Justice Bhattacharyya had advised the present ruling dispensation to create an atmosphere where persons owing allegiance to different political ideologies will not hesitate to express their views, the State government clearly did not heed the advice.

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari had more than a month ago on September 10 urged Durga Puja committees to deny those any space near pandals to those who refer to Durgapuja as “Sharodotsav”, or autumn festival. Mr Adhikari, who claims that the Durga Puja will be observed in a traditional way, said that use of Sharodotsav was part of a concerted attempt by the Left parties to dilute the religious character of the festival and impose communist culture.

Several book stalls vandalised, allege Left leaders

Not only have the book stalls of the Left parties not been given permission, but leaders of the Left parties said that several of their stalls have been attacked. Leaders from Left parties came together on Friday and said that stalls have allegedly been attacked in parts of Kolkata and the districts, including Entally and Jorabagan in north Kolkata, Kulpi in South 24 Parganas, and Bijpur in North 24 Parganas. CPI(M) said that their under-construction book stall in Bijpur was allegedly set on fire late on Thursday night.

West Bengal CPI(M) State Secretary Md. Salim said that the books are just an excuse; the party in power has decided on a crackdown on anything related to education and culture. Mr. Salim and other left leaders have called the crackdown an attack on free thinking and dissemination of knowledge.

Left versus Right faceoff

The crackdown of the book stalls of Left parties is part of the politics that has emerged in the State after the BJP government came to power in May 2026. Enthused with its electoral triumph and the complete dismantling of Trinamool Congress organisation, the BJP has to invent a new political adversary and it has focused on targeting the Left parties.

The attacks on Jadavpur University by supporters of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, the remarks by BJP leaders directed at students and faculty of the university, and the recent attack of former CPI(M) MP and senior advocate Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya all points at the Left versus Right political binary that is emergency in the State.

There is a concerted attempt by the BJP and its allies to brand the Left party and its supporters as “anti-national” and against the Hindu religion. Not only the Chief Minister but also other Ministers in the West Bengal government are repeatedly and regularly targeting the Left parties and its supporters.

“They will talk about Karl Marx and Lenin and sell their books here and create ‘dimagi naxals’. They harm the nation and want to divide it up; they cannot be allowed in India. Their book stalls cannot be allowed,” Senior Minister Arjun Singh said.

The silver lining that has emerged from the attacks is that all the Left parties, even those who are not part of the Left Front, have come together to speak out against the attacks. There is also a new bonhomie between former political adversaries, the Mamata All India Trinamool Congress and the CPI(M). It is to be seen whether the shrinking of opposition space will result in new political alignments in West Bengal or not.