Posters urging people to buy meat, biryani and puja items only from Hindu-owned shops have appeared across Siliguri in North Bengal just ahead of Durga Puja, setting off a political row over religion, food and everyday trade.
The posters were put up by the Hindu Jagaran Manch, which PTI describes as an affiliate of the RSS. One poster reads, “Buy meat from Hindu-owned shops.” Another says there is no ban on eating biryani, but that it should be bought from a Hindu-owned shop. A third asks residents to buy puja articles from Hindu shops. They have been pasted at several spots in the city, including on walls near the Tarun Tirtha Club’s puja grounds in Bharat Nagar. Reports note that this venue is close to the home of state Tourism Minister and Siliguri MLA Shankar Ghosh.
Abhishek Das, a Manch member leading the campaign, spoke in favour of these posters. He said the group had put them up on its own to spread a message of Hindu unity, and that they were meant to support local businesses run by Hindus. “This is not a diktat but an appeal,” Das said, adding that backing such shops would also help the local economy.
The campaign drew sharp criticism from political leaders. Asok Bhattacharya, a senior CPI(M) leader and former minister, demanded police action. He said the administration should remove the posters and arrest those behind what he called a communal campaign. Former Siliguri mayor Gautam Deb called the posters unfortunate for a secular state like West Bengal. He said that if they were found to be unconstitutional, the police should act against those responsible.
Even within the ruling side, the campaign has found little open backing. Union Minister of State for Education Sukanta Majumdar, a BJP leader, said his party was not involved in the posters, and reminded people that where one shops is a personal choice.
Residents spoke of unease with such posters, given the harmonious culture of the state. Santosh Roy, a Siliguri resident, said he was surprised by the message. Others told reporters that Bengalis have always enjoyed biryani without asking about the religion of the person who made it. They also pointed out that many of the artisans behind Durga Puja decorations, including those who make shola, or pith, work, are Muslims, and said the appeal runs against the spirit of free thinking and the social traditions of Bengal.
The row comes at a sensitive moment. Durga Puja is the biggest festival in the state, and Siliguri is among the cities with the largest number of puja pandals after Kolkata. Calls to shop on religious lines in the middle of the festival season have raised fears about the impact on small traders, bakeries, restaurants and craftspeople who depend on the festive rush, whatever their faith.
Some earlier reports tied the poster campaign to a wider debate in Bengal over food choices and religious identity during the festival.
There has been no report so far of the police removing the posters or registering a case. The Manch has not said whether it will put up more of them.
