Why Cuttack, a '1000-Year-Old' Symbol of Amity, Saw Communal Violence Last Weekend

Bhubaneswar: Cuttack, Odisha’s millennium city and its erstwhile capital, is known for its secular culture. One of the times at which it manifests itself is when Muslim artisans work to craft mesmerising backdrops for the deity during Durga Puja. Called “medha” in Odia, these are huge frameworks fashioned out of zari, a play of fine gold and silver. No puja is complete without them.

Their involvement in Durga puja, the biggest cultural celebration of the city that is believed to be 1,000 years old, underlines Cuttack’s famous bhaichara – fraternal love – as something which lies at the core of its existence. No wonder city residents, cutting across class and age divides, were shocked when violence erupted during the immersion of Durga idols in the wee hours of October 4, shattering its communal harmony.

What happened on October 4

The violence saw two groups, one of them including some Muslim boys, fighting a pitched battle with stones and glass bottles. The apparent trigger was the high-decibel DJ music accompanying the Jhanjirimangala Puja Committee’s immersion procession while it was passing through Hatipokhari near Dargah Bazar, an area with Muslim population. Some people reportedly also objected to the selection of songs by the DJ and the “Jai Shri Ram,” slogans raised by those in the procession.

Violence ensued and at least six persons including Deputy Commissioner of Police, Cuttack, Rishikesh Khilari Dnyandeo sustained injuries.

The incident not only disrupted and delayed the Jhanjirimangala Puja Committee’s procession but also that of the Rauspatana Puja Committee which was following behind. Later, police allowed the Rauspatana procession to proceed but Jhanjirimangala members had to wait for a while.

Enter VHP

A day later, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad entered the scene and issued a call for a Cuttack-wide strike on October 6 to protest what it saw as an attack on Hindus. The VHP organised a rally in Cuttack on the evening of October 5, in an apparent show of strength ahead of the strike, in open defiance of the local administration’s orders not to indulge in any kind of provocative activity. The rallyists allegedly went berserk, damaging shops and beating up their perceived enemies. This new spell of violence left at least 25 persons including eight police personnel injured.

Cuttack: Firemen stand near charred remains of carts and other things after fresh incidents of violence linked to a group clash two days ago during a Durga idol immersion procession, in Cuttack, Odisha, Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025. Photo: PTI.

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Fearing further escalation of violence and the communal tinge it had acquired, the administration imposed a 36-hour curfew in Cuttack and also suspended internet services in the city and its adjoining areas to prevent the spread of rumours and communally sensitive messages. With curfew in place, the VHP-sponsored strike in the city passed off more or less peacefully. Tension in Cuttack remains palpable with its residents badly shaken by the developments of the last 72 hours.

'Vested interests'

Syed Ekram Hussain, former chairperson of Odisha Waqf Board, says that the chain of events since the idol immersion procession has left him shaken. “I haven’t witnessed anything of this kind in this city in the last three decades. And I firmly believe the entire issue is being deliberately given a communal colour. All this talk about members of the Muslim community objecting to songs containing the name of lord Ram during the procession while it was passing through Dargah Bazar is nonsense. Such songs have been played in the past with no one taking offence,” he said.

Hussain said that it was his understanding that the trouble began when some of the participants of the immersion procession fell over some Muslim boys who, in turn, fell against some shops, damaging them in the process. The Muslim boys ran to the nearby Qadam Rasul mosque for help. “This was a natural reaction on their part but it was quickly given a communal colour by those with vested interests,” said Hussain, urging the police to take stern action against the troublemakers who are out to disrupt Cuttack’s communal harmony.

Cuttack: Police and security personnel keep a vigil after fresh incidents of violence linked to a group clash two days ago during a Durga idol immersion procession, in Cuttack, Odisha, Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025. Photo: PTI.

'Alarming'

Chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who holds the home portfolio, appealed to city residents to uphold Cuttack's century-old ethos of brotherhood. "Cuttack is a thousand-year-old city known for its unity and communal harmony. Due to the actions of some miscreants, peace has been disturbed in recent days," said Majhi who said that strictest possible action would be taken against troublemakers.

While VHP leaders including the organisation’s Cuttack district in-charge Pabitra Mohan Das remained unfazed by criticism and squarely blamed the police for mishandling the situation, opposition parties including Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Congress trained their guns on the government.

Former Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik described the violence as “ deeply disturbing” and called the situation in Cuttack,  “the city of brotherhood, alarming."

Sofia Firdous, the Congress MLA from Barabati-Cuttack constituency, also expressed deep anguish over the violence. "Our city is a living example of unity and tradition with Durga Puja celebrations here being more than 500 years old. Those who tried to disrupt this unity and harmony must be punished as per law following identification through CCTV and drone footage,” she demanded.

'A backsliding'

Editor of a well-known Urdu newspaper, Riaz Mohammad echoed similar sentiments. “Whatever happened is unfortunate. This city has always set an example of communal amity. Some people are out to destroy that image, but they must be stopped,” said Riaz. Another veteran journalist, Siraj Mohammad, chimed in and called upon the government to act against communal elements in the larger interest of the state.

“Ever since this government has come to power law and order situation in the state has been sliding consistently. There have been several incidents of attacks on minorities. Communal elements have no fear of the law,” said former BJD MLA Latika Pradhan.

While Hindutva outfits like VHP may treat the situation in Cuttack as an opportunity to demonstrate their strength and win new converts, it presents a major challenge to the Mohan Majhi government which has been struggling to control Hindutva groups who have been accused of attacking minority community members since the BJP came to power in the state.

The first major test of the Mohan Majhi government on this front was handling the communal riots that broke out in Balasore soon after the new government was sworn in last year. Not much later there were reports of Christian community members being attacked by self-styled Hindutva champions in different parts of the state. In one such incident, which was reported widely, two women were tied up to a tree and thrashed by a mob that also defaced them.

Several incidents of cow vigilantes attacking ordinary people transporting cows after purchasing them for personal use have been reported in the state since the new government came to power. In one particular case in Ganjam, two Dalit men, transporting a cow to be given as dowry to the daughter of one of them, were waylaid by a group of miscreants masquerading as cow protectors. They were beaten up and made to crawl for about one kilometre with grass blades between their teeth. Such cases have also been reported from the outskirts of Bhubaneswar.

“They reflect poorly on the government which must act proactively to rein in such elements. These are basically lumpen elements who have nothing to do with any religion. They indulge in this kind of hooliganism only because they feel confident that no one will take them to task,” said political analyst Shashi Kant Mishra.

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