Kolkata: West Bengal is bracing for potential religious tensions as an umbrella organization comprising approximately 20 Hindu groups prepares to hold over 2,000 rallies across the state on April 6 to celebrate Ram Navami, prompting authorities to implement elaborate security arrangements to prevent a repeat of the communal violence that has erupted during similar celebrations in recent years. "The next 10 days are important. We are requesting citizens to be on the alert. Nobody should fall for provocation or rumour aimed at creating communal discord," warned Jawed Shamim, additional director general of police (law and order), highlighting official concerns as two men were already arrested in Howrah on Saturday on charges of plotting communal violence.
The Sri Ram Navami Ujjapan Samity, which includes Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) affiliates such as Vishva Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal, and Hindu Jagran Manch, is organizing the events throughout the state. Bikarna Naskar, a member of the organizing committee, revealed they had met with police officials last week after receiving information about an alleged conspiracy to attack their rallies at 43 locations, ominously adding, "If anyone attacks our rallies, we will not sit and watch." When questioned about whether participants would carry controversial weapons such as tridents and swords despite prohibitory orders, Naskar conspicuously declined to answer, further intensifying concerns about potential confrontations.
RSS's general secretary for South Bengal, Jishnu Basu, attempted to reframe the discussion by arguing that any prohibition on weapons should be applied equally to both Muharram and Ram Navami processions, while clarifying that although RSS does not directly organize Ram Navami rallies, the organization views "large gatherings of Hindus" with particular interest. Basu further elaborated on the RSS worldview, stating, "We consider people from all faiths as Indians. People from all faiths will live in peace in India as long as Hindus are in the majority," a statement that encapsulates the organization's stance on religious demographics and national harmony.
The political dimensions of the upcoming celebrations are unmistakable as the opposition BJP, which has increasingly emphasized Hindutva themes ahead of the 2026 assembly elections, directs criticism at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's administration. Union Minister and BJP state chief Sukanta Majumdar has been particularly vocal, claiming that many Ram Navami processions have been attacked in recent years when passing mosques and asserting, "Hindus must hold rallies this year. We know how to counter such attacks." Majumdar's rhetoric escalated further during a visit to Malda district after being prevented from entering Mothabari, where homes of some Hindu residents were allegedly ransacked last Thursday, leading him to declare, "I am not saying all Muslims are into this...but some have become Jihadis. Hindus must unite to overthrow Banerjee's government in 2026."
In response to the BJP's religious positioning, the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) has mobilized allied organizations to present a counter-narrative of religious harmony. The Paschim Banga Rajya Sanatan Bhahman Trust, which maintains links with TMC, has installed hoardings emphasizing brotherhood among Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, and Christians throughout the state. Former minister and the Trust's chief adviser, Rajib Banerjee, who briefly joined the BJP in 2021 before returning to TMC within eight months, accused the BJP of employing "the Hindu card" solely for electoral advantage and announced the Trust's plans to celebrate its foundation day on April 1 with rallies and pujas across Bengal, pointedly adding, "I was in the BJP for a short while. I told them the Jai Sri Ram slogan would not work in Bengal."
The heightened religious rhetoric preceding Ram Navami unfolds against the backdrop of controversial statements by BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, who has openly called for his party to disregard Muslim voters—who constituted approximately 27% of Bengal's population in the 2011 census—and focus exclusively on increasing Hindu support for the 2026 elections. Adhikari maintains that the BJP, which secured 38.7% of votes in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, could achieve victory if just 10% more Hindu voters support the party, a strategy that acknowledges the critical role Muslims play in at least 120 of Bengal's 294 assembly constituencies. In 2021, despite fielding nine Muslim candidates, the BJP managed to win only 75 seats total, with none of their Muslim candidates succeeding—a statistic that appears to have influenced the party's current approach to religious demographics as an electoral strategy.
