A wave of ultra-nationalist sentiment, amplified by right-wing activists and mainstream television media, is sweeping through West Bengal, leading to hostility against peace marches advocating communal harmony. In recent days, demonstrators have faced threats, online harassment, and even physical attacks, raising concerns over the diminishing space for dissent. 

Bharatiya Janata Party politician and leader of the opposition in the state's assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, for one, has declared that anti-war sentiment equates to being anti-national. Targeting the Left, a weakened political force in the state, Adhikari has openly threatened violence against those participating in peace rallies.

“We will not tolerate an anti-war stance. If the BJP comes to power, leftists in this state will be punished with the support of our Assam leadership. If they step outside, their arms and legs will be broken,” warned Adhikari. “Starting in 2026, anti-national elements will be dragged out of Jadavpur [University] by their hair, beaten up, tied to drones, and dropped off in Pakistan.”

Despite these threats, peace activists remained undeterred. For two consecutive days, demonstrators marched through Kolkata, calling for communal harmony and an end to war-mongering. On Tuesday, a coalition of 10 leftist political parties organised a large-scale peace rally in the city.

“External enemies want the conflict to spill inside the country. Internal violence serves their interest. A group is trying to redefine patriotism. If you speak of unity, you’re attacked,” said Communist Party of India (Marxist) state secretary Md Salim. “We will continue advocating for unity.”

The rally proceeded peacefully, in sharp contrast to events on May 12 when an anti-war protest by a coalition of left-leaning student organisations, intellectuals, and civil society activists was violently disrupted. Supporters of the saffron party, led by local BJP leader Sajal Ghosh, assaulted demonstrators while police stood by. Among those targeted were elderly human rights activists and student participants. Police detained several rally participants, along with some of the alleged attackers, drawing criticism from civil rights organisations.

“We were a small group protesting peacefully against war. We couldn’t imagine the BJP would assault elderly human rights activists,” said Ranjit Sur, secretary of the Association for Protection of Democratic Rights (APDR). 

 “Our rally opposed both the attacks in Palestine and a possible India-Pakistan conflict. BJP workers poured diesel and other substances on us in full view of the police,” alleged Rangta Munsi, one of the participants in the rally.

Interestingly, anti-war activists have not only faced hostility from Hindutva groups but also from supporters of the state's ruling party, the Trinamool Congress (TMC). A formal complaint was recently filed against a college lecturer affiliated with TMC for issuing violent threats on social media targeting peace activists. Despite his multiple ostensible offences, including publicly threatening a researcher with crude weapons and referring to a student leader as a “sex slave”, no action has yet been taken by the police.

The TMC leadership has remained silent on the matter, offering no public condemnation of the lecturer’s conduct. On the contrary, several senior party leaders have posted inflammatory remarks online, attacking individuals who have called for de-escalation and peace. Satabdi Roy, a four-time MP of the party, publicly praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership.

“Modi ji is generally very calculated in his approach. He understands well where emotion will resonate and where people will feel impacted. The word sindoor (vermilion) is deeply symbolic – especially in a time and place where the very idea of sindoor has been erased in every sense,” said Roy while speaking to local media. 

Observers warn that the normalisation of jingoistic language and religious polarisation could have long-term consequences. 

“Religious bigotry is a barrier to a healthy and progressive society. It’s not only destroying progressivism but also rewarding irrationality. The political space is nurturing this fanaticism. Those who stand for secularism are becoming minorities in their own land,” said author Rehan Kaushik. 

Translated from the Bengali original by Aparna Bhattacharya.

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