For the first time in over five decades, Poila Baisakh -- the first day of the Bengali New Year - passed without any celebration on Tuesday in Dhulian, a bustling trade town in West Bengal's Murshidabad district, as fear gripped the area following last week's violence over the Waqf (Amendment) Act.
Despite printing invitation cards and making elaborate preparations, traders called off their traditional puja and festivities.
In 50 years, we have never skipped this ritual. We close the previous year's accounts and start afresh with blessings from the gods. But this year, our priest declined to come, and clients are too scared to visit the shops. Everyone is in panic, a local businessman told a vernacular news channel.
Another trader said their shops have been looted and burnt and there is no question of any celebration.
Poila Baisakh usually marks a symbolic new beginning for Bengali business owners who perform puja, distribute sweets, and invite clients to clear dues and start new accounts.
Dhulian and Samsergunj were among the worst impacted areas of Murshidabad of violence.
Violence began on April 8 after protests in several Muslim-majority areas of Murshidabad, including Dhulian and Samserganj, over the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025.
A man and his son were among three people killed, and over ten others were injured in the violence. Protesters blocked National Highway 12, torched police vehicles, and disrupted train services.
In response, the district authorities clamped prohibitory orders, suspended internet services, and deployed central forces following the Calcutta High Court's directive.
Yet, locals are not satisfied.
We want central forces to stay permanently. We are still living in fear," said a businessman.
In nearby Samserganj, where a large sweetmeat shop was ransacked and set ablaze during the violence, a glimmer of resilience emerged. On Tuesday, the shop reopened with a few sweetmeat varieties, even as workers continued to clear debris.
However, signs of devastation still linger. Many families have returned to find their homes looted or torched.
A woman who came back on Poila Baisakh stood beside her charred house, weeping.
"We have lost everything," she said in a choked voice.
According to BJP leaders, around 400 families were forced to flee to a relief camp in Malda during the peak of the violence.
Bharat Sevasram Sangha distributed new traditional towels ('gamchha') in the Malda relief camp where some 70-75 families are staying.
Even as the police claimed that adequate measures have been taken to restore peace, the mood on the ground remains grim.
© 2025