Holi Controversy in Bengal: Poster at Shantiniketan Sparks Political Row
A poster was put up at Shantiniketan, and it has started a big controversy in West Bengal. The poster asks people not to celebrate Holi with colors at Sonajhuri Haat. Shantiniketan is a well-known artisan fair and the home of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore. It is about 180 km from Kolkata.
The poster says this is a reserved forest area. It tells people that playing with colors, car parking, videography, and drone camera use are not allowed. After the post went viral, the BJP accused the ruling Trinamool government of banning Holi celebrations at the fair. However, the Mamata Banerjee government said their only aim is to preserve nature.
Leader of the Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, said this is not a one-time incident. He claimed that police held meetings at every station for Holi in 2025. He also said that the police declared Holi should not be celebrated and even threatened arrests. In another case, a police officer in Birbhum district gave a deadline of 10 am to wrap up Basanta Utsav in Shantiniketan since it was a Friday. Mr. Adhikari called these moves divisive and accused the government of appeasement.
On the other hand, State Forest Minister Birbaha Hansda denied any restriction on playing Holi. She explained that the poster is just a request to help preserve the area. She said who wants to celebrate Holi can celebrate this. An inquiry is now underway to investigate the matter.
This controversy in this Indian state shows there is a lot of political tension is going on. Stay tuned for more updates.
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