Tense Times in Dhulian: Violence Halts Poila Baisakh Celebrations

For the first time in over five decades, the Bengali New Year passed without celebration in Dhulian due to violence over the Waqf (Amendment) Act. Businesses canceled festivities, and fear persists amidst continued police presence. Shops looted, families displaced, and lives upended marked the somber occasion.

For the first time in more than 50 years, Poila Baisakh, the Bengali New Year, went uncelebrated in Dhulian, West Bengal, due to last week's violence linked to the Waqf (Amendment) Act. Traders opted out of traditional festivities, citing fear and vandalism as key reasons.

The violence, which erupted after protests in Dhulian and Samserganj, led to multiple fatalities, injuries, and widespread destruction. Authorities imposed prohibitory orders and deployed central forces following the Calcutta High Court's directive, but fear and uncertainty remain among locals.

While some businesses, like a sweet shop in Samserganj, have reopened amid rubble, many families returned to find their homes destroyed. Relief efforts are ongoing, with BJP leaders reporting mass displacement, as hundreds fled to relief camps. The impact of the unrest continues to be felt, dampening the spirit of renewal the New Year traditionally brings.

(With inputs from agencies.)