Bulldozer Raj at Left-Wing Bookstalls
An Assault on Bengal’s Intellectual Tradition
by Nazrul Ahmed Zamader
Within a month of the BJP coming to power in West Bengal in May 2026, the state witnessed what came to be known as bulldozer raj. Hawkers were evicted one after another with the use of bulldozers. But did the people of West Bengal ever imagine that this bulldozer raj would also target their long tradition of knowledge and learning? Perhaps not. Yet it happened during Durga Puja in 2026.
Since the 1950s, left-wing political parties in West Bengal have been setting up bookstalls near Durga Puja pandals. For decades, this has been a familiar sight. No one attacked those stalls before. This year it happened. The alleged attacks have exposed the ugly face of saffron fascist forces. Several stalls have reportedly been damaged or demolished. Books by Karl Marx and V. I. Lenin have been thrown to the ground. Books by Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, Rabindranath Tagore, Bhagat Singh, Raja Rammohan Roy, and Swami Vivekananda have also been affected.
A famous line from Satyajit Ray’s film ‘Hirak Rajar Deshe’ comes to mind: “The more they read, the more they know, and the less they obey.” This is precisely what makes knowledge dangerous in the eyes of an authoritarian ruler. The more people know, the more they question. They learn to recognise injustice. They also begin to examine the claims of those in power through reason and evidence. Controlling people's thoughts and access to knowledge is therefore a common feature of authoritarian politics. The allegations of vandalism, obstruction, and threats against left-wing bookstalls at different places in West Bengal during Durga Puja 2026 have once again raised this important question.
The tradition of setting up left-wing bookstalls during Durga Puja is several decades old. According to various media reports, it began in the 1950s under the undivided Communist Party of India (CPI). Several reports mention that communist leader Muzaffar Ahmed took the initiative to set up a bookstall at Park Circus in 1954. Some reports, however, trace the beginning of this tradition to 1952. There is, therefore, some difference over the exact year in which it began. But there is no doubt that the tradition has a long history. Later, the Communist Party of India (Marxist), or CPI(M), and other left-wing organisations expanded this practice. Small bookstalls, often decorated with red cloth, became a familiar sight near Puja pandals. They offered Marxist literature, political pamphlets, Bengali literature, books on history and philosophy, scientific works, and books on various social issues.
This initiative had several purposes. It brought books closer to ordinary people during the festive season. It encouraged reading and created opportunities to discuss political and social questions. Many people who did not attend political meetings or visit bookshops during the rest of the year stopped at these stalls while visiting puja pandals. They bought books, turned their pages, and discovered new writers. In this way, the festive space also became a place for learning and intellectual exchange.
Over the years, these stalls have become a familiar part of Bengal's Durga Puja culture. Other political parties and organisations have also set up bookstalls near Puja pandals. In 2019, media reports showed bookstalls run by left-wing groups, BJP supporters, and other political organisations standing alongside one another in Kolkata and the districts. This reflects an important aspect of Bengal's cultural tradition: different political views have found space within the same public setting.
In 2026, however, allegations of vandalism and obstruction emerged from several places. There were also reports of political threats aimed at preventing left-wing groups from setting up their stalls. According to these reports, left-wing bookstalls were prevented from operating in several districts. In Kolkata, attempts to set up stalls reportedly faced serious attacks. Bookstalls associated with the CPI(M), the CPI(ML) Liberation, and other left-wing organisations were reportedly vandalised. Babun Chatterjee, a leader of the CPI(ML) Liberation, and Amalendu Chowdhury, an 87-year-old activist of the organisation, were reportedly attacked in connection with an incident in the Dhakuria area. On Saturday, 17 October 2026, there was also an attempt to demolish a CPI(M) bookstall in Jadavpur. The attempt met with strong resistance. Students and people from democratic, progressive, and left-wing groups stood in front of the bulldozer, holding books in their hands. Some held books by Bhagat Singh. Others held books by B. R. Ambedkar, Rabindranath Tagore, and Swami Vivekananda. Faced with this resistance, the bulldozer retreated.
Durga Puja is more than a religious ritual for Bengalis. It is also a major social and cultural festival. Music, theatre, little magazines, literature, and bookstalls make it a rich and diverse cultural event. In 2021, UNESCO included “Durga Puja in Kolkata” on its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This recognition reflects the festival's cultural importance at the international level. Bengal's intellectual tradition has developed through different ideas, debates, and conflicts. Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's social reforms, Raja Rammohan Roy's rational thinking, Rabindranath Tagore's humanism, and Kazi Nazrul Islam's spirit of equality and rebellion are important parts of this history. The cultural traditions of workers' and peasants' movements have also played a significant role. This intellectual heritage does not belong exclusively to any one political party. But when bookstalls are attacked because of their political identity, an important question arises: which ideas will be allowed in public spaces, and which will be removed?
One of the most notorious historical examples of attacks on books and free thought comes from Nazi Germany. On 10 May 1933, Nazi-supported student organisations organised public book burnings in Berlin and other German cities. The books of many Jewish, socialist, and communist writers were targeted. Works by other writers who opposed Nazi ideology were also burned. These events symbolised a wider attempt to bring German education and culture under Nazi control. Later, the Nazi state imposed strict controls on writers, journalists, and intellectuals. Many writers were forced into exile. After the military coup in Chile in 1973, Augusto Pinochet’s rule also crushed left and dissenting thought. Political literature was banned. Books were seized. Publishing was controlled. These events are well documented. The situation in present-day West Bengal should not be equated entirely with these historical events. The scale of state repression and the historical circumstances are different. However, these examples remind us that attempts to suppress alternative ideas often extend to books, literature, and culture.
A bookstall is, in effect, a small public space. People encounter different ideas there, ask questions, and develop their own views. When we disagree with an ideology, we can respond through reason, debate, critical writing, or cultural activities. Vandalism and intimidation have no place in a democratic society. If the right to run left-wing bookstalls is denied today, books representing other political views or works by minority writers may face similar attacks tomorrow.
The protest, therefore, is not simply about protecting the right of left-wing organisations to sell books. It is about defending freedom of expression, the right to acquire knowledge, and the coexistence of different views in public spaces. The strength of Bengal's intellectual tradition lies in the freedom to question, the use of reason, and dialogue with different points of view. Narrowing this space weakens an important foundation of Bengal's cultural life. So the line from ‘Hirak Rajar Deshe’ is still relevant. Knowledge does more than provide information. It also gives people the courage to question injustice. Protecting bookstalls means much more than saving a few temporary structures. It means defending freedom of thought, the right to think independently, and Bengal's pluralistic cultural space. People may disagree with the ideas expressed in books. But a healthy democratic culture cannot be built by threatening booksellers, breaking stalls, or keeping books from readers.
Nazrul Ahmed Zamader is PhD Scholar at Jadavpur University.
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