In pictures: Art and dissent by Bengal’s outspoken Durga Puja pandals in a changed political climate
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Last year, around the time of Durga Puja, public anxiety in West Bengal was mounting with reports of Bengali-speaking people being expelled across the border after being accused of being Bangladeshi.
There was nervousness about citizenship rights and the right to vote due to the approaching Special Intensive Revision of the electoral rolls.
In response, Durga Puja pandals erected for the state’s most popular festival became powerful vehicles for asserting Bengali identity.
For instance, the theme at the Chaltabagan Sarbojanin pandal in Kolkata was “Ami Banglay Bolchi”, I Am Speaking Bengali. It traced the history of the Bengali language. The Aswininagar Bandhumahal pandal explored the historical journeys of Bengalis through changing political and riverine landscapes. The pandal of the Ramgarh Raipur Club told the stories of migrant workers who could not return home for the festival.
These were artistic interventions confronting exclusion in a political climate in which language and identity had become grounds for suspicion.
In 2026, after the victory of the Bharatiya Janata Party in the state elections, the new chief minister issued a warning before the festival. “All organisers are instructed to ensure that idols, pandal themes, and decorations strictly respect the rich religious traditions and cultural heritage of Durga Puja,” said Suvendhu Adhikari. “Any practice causing offense or...