The recent unrest in Murshidabad has put West Bengal’s troubled situation back in the spotlight. On April 11, 2025, this Muslim-majority district saw widespread violence, including vandalism, arson, and attacks aimed at the Hindu community. These incidents happened under the cover of protests against the newly passed Waqf Amendment Act. In West Bengal, ruled by the Trinamool Congress (TMC), Hindus have faced ongoing challenges from groups linked to the ruling party and local criminals who seem to operate with support from those in power.

The violence has raised concerns about safety and fairness in the state, with many feeling that law and order are not being properly maintained. Reports from sources like India Today confirm the scale of the clashes, noting that three people lost their lives and over 150 were arrested as tensions flared.

Sandeshkhali Women Still Haunted by Past Trauma

While Murshidabad deals with fresh wounds, the women of Sandeshkhali—mostly Hindu—continue to live with unhealed scars. In February 2024, the North 24 Parganas district, where Sandeshkhali is located, saw massive protests led by women. They took to the streets, demanding justice against TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan, a close ally of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, along with two other TMC workers, Shiba Prasad Hazra and Uttam Sardar, who were believed to be his associates.

Hundreds of women in Sandeshkhali marched with brooms, sticks, and farming tools, blocking roads to make their voices heard. They claimed that young, married Hindu women were being targeted based on their appearance, taken away, and abused repeatedly until the TMC men were “satisfied”. The women said their husbands were threatened and told they had no “right” over their wives. Those who tried to stop the exploitation were brutally beaten. The protests gained national attention, especially after Mamata Banerjee dismissed the Sandeshkhali rape cases as a “minor incident”, a statement that sparked widespread anger. According to reports, 19 cases were filed against the accused TMC leaders in 2024. After intense public pressure and dramatic events, Sheikh Shahjahan and others were arrested and remain in jail. Yet, 14 months later, the women of Sandeshkhali still live in distress, with no real sense of relief. The BBC reported on the arrests, confirming Shahjahan’s capture in February 2024 after weeks of protests.

Sheikh Shahjahan’s Shadow Looms Over Sandeshkhali

Even with Sheikh Shahjahan behind bars, his influence continues to cast a dark cloud over Sandeshkhali. The area has become a hub of hardship, marked by poverty, poor farming conditions, damaged roads, dried-up ponds, and the lingering fear felt by victims of Shahjahan and his group. A recent report by Dainik Bhaskar revealed the extent of these struggles, highlighting how life remains tough for many residents. One woman, who filed a sexual harassment case against Shahjahan, shared with the newspaper that women in Sandeshkhali still feel scared and helpless. She said victims are receiving threatening phone calls from unknown people, adding to their anxiety.

One complainant, Vasanti [name changed], spoke openly about her experience. She told Dainik Bhaskar, “When the movement took place last year, I was a part of it. Shahjahan Sheikh had an evil eye on us women. He used to call us to his office. He and his companions used to rape women. I had also filed a complaint against him. Since then, I am being harassed. I still get threatening calls. I don’t know who these people are. One of them is called Amjadul Sardar. He is not a resident of Sandeshkhali. He comes here from Kharampur and lives here.” She went on to say, “He [Amjadul Sardar] says that his grandfather’s house is here. He comes here sometimes. He threatens me that you did not do the right thing by filing a rape case against Shahjahan Sheikh and his associates. He threatens to kill me. They are from the group of Shibu Hazra and Aamir Shahjahan.”

When asked if life has improved since Shahjahan’s arrest, Vasanti said, “There has been some difference. Now we can go out of the house without fear. My husband and elder son work in Gujarat. I live with my younger son. When I get threats, I feel a little scared. No leader of any party comes here to help.”

Another resident, Piyali [name changed], shared her story with Dainik Bhaskar. She said she was the one who started the fight against Shahjahan Sheikh, later receiving support from BJP leaders. She explained, “Earlier, people could not even ask each other about their well-being while standing at the tea stall. There was a lot of fear. Now the situation is fine, but in Mamata Banerjee’s government, Shahjahan Sheikh is threatening people even while sitting in jail. Our friend Rubin Mandal’s family lives here, across the river. They had a vegetable market, which Shahjahan Sheikh usurped two years ago and got it registered in his name. His family still gets threats that the day you come out, we will deal with you. This threat is given by a goon named Mastan. He is Shahjahan’s henchman.”

Piyali also revealed, “Shahjahan Sheikh’s gang is still active. I still get a lot of threats on social media. All these come from fake IDs.” She recounted a personal ordeal, saying, “I was framed in a false case. I was in jail for about 7 days. I was accused of getting women to sign blank white papers. At that time, Rekha Sharma, who was the chairperson of the Women’s Commission, had come. I was with her team. I told her that many women tried to file a police complaint against Shibu Hazra and Shahjahan Sheikh, but the police drove them away. Then Rekha Sharma made me her translator and took me to the police station. I was just standing with her, and I was falsely accused of getting false statements written by women on a blank paper. However, I was acquitted by the court. I was supported by BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari in this.”

The stories of Vasanti and Piyali show a community still living under the weight of past abuses, with threats and fear lingering long after the arrests. The involvement of the National Commission for Women, as mentioned by Piyali, aligns with reports from The Hindu, which noted visits by various commissions to Sandeshkhali in 2024 to document allegations.

The trail of fear and injustice in Sandeshkhali doesn’t end with threats or harassment—it stretches deep into land grabs and brutal murders. Another victim, Joshna Das alleged that Sheikh Shahjahan and Shibu Hazra have inflicted countless atrocities on women and the latter has even allegedly usurped her 7.5 Bigha land. Her voice trembled as she recounted how she claimed that two years ago, Hazra wanted to grab her land and when her family confronted him, the accused got her elder son killed. These are not just allegations—they reflect the painful silence that continues to suffocate the village. The trauma did not end there for Joshna and her family. She further accused Sheikh Shahjahan of forcing her family to work on their field, however, would not pay them.

Despite the suffering, Sandeshkhali’s spirit hasn't broken completely. Locals have tried to preserve their faith. A local resident said that the villagers in Sandeshkhali have built a small Shiva temple in a hut, however, they want to construct a proper temple. But even their devotion was curbed. She added that till Sheikh Shahjajan was out of jail, Hindus were not able to celebrate their festivals or hold fairs (Melas).

That bitter memory still lingers in the hearts of many. Some residents told Bhaskar that the political momentum that once brought Sandeshkhali into national headlines is fading. Besides, the locals told Bhaskar that the BJP, which relentlessly raised the plight of Sandeshkhali women last year, has stopped raising the matter with same intensity. However, the BJP insists it hasn’t abandoned the cause. The BJP, however, asserted that they have not forgotten Sandeshkhali and would continue to raise the matter alongside the RG Kar Medical College rape and murder case.

The plight of women in West Bengal has often been ignored or mocked by those in power. The misogynistic language used by leaders continues to expose the deep-rooted disdain towards women’s dignity. Such a deplorable state of women in West Bengal is not shocking given that the TMC leaders, time and again, expose their misogynistic mindset. In a shocking statement in April 2024, Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Satabdi Roy said that the beneficiaries of West Bengal government schemes are chosen based on the ‘beauty’ of their wives. “Only those people whose wives look beautiful will get the money from the government schemes. Those individuals who do not have beautiful wives will not receive any benefits. They had told me this clearly,” Roy said.

The pattern of insensitivity from the top is clear. Not to forget, Mamata Banerjee herself has a opprobrious record of downplaying rape cases not once but on multiple occasions. The most glaring example remains the RG Kar Medical College rape and murder case, where even the Supreme Court criticized the negligence of state authorities in registering FIR and taking action.

What’s worse, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who has a pathological fixation with fighting the ‘Kafirs’ (non-Muslims, infidels) has long been mollycoddling Islamists and going out of the way to keep her Muslim votebank content. This appeasement continues to embolden aggressive mobs. Muslim mobs have been organising violent demonstrations in different parts of West Bengal against the recently implemented Waqf Act, which has been portrayed as an anti-Muslim law by several Muslim leaders as well as opposition parties, including the TMC.

Even amidst ongoing violence, the Chief Minister chose her side. Amidst the ongoing violence in the state, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has voiced her opinion in support of Muslims agitating against the Waqf Act. Her statements gave more fuel to the fire. The state’s top leader voicing her unconditional support to protesting Muslims emboldened them to an extent that Hindus are being attacked by Muslim mobs ‘protesting’ against the Waqf Act, and many local Hindus have been forced to flee. Though a few arrests followed, the situation would not have worsened if the state government had not decided to extend support to the Islamists. Such blatant Muslim appeasement at the cost of sidelining and sacrificing Hindu lives, however, has been the signature of TMC’s three consecutive terms in power.

OpIndia has reported several incidents wherein the state government demonstrated its blatant favouritism towards Muslims and disdain towards Hindus. In a recent case, the Calcutta High Court granted permission to Hindu outfit ‘Anjani Putra Sena’ to carry out a Ram Navami procession in Howrah after the Mamata government raised objections against it. This was despite the CM’s claims that those who participate in Ram Navami processions have a tendency to riot.

The pattern isn’t new. In 2023, a Durga Mandir was found blocked and barricaded in Kaliachak town in Malda district of West Bengal. The development came a day before the Islamic month of Muharram. This wasn’t the first time such religious bias surfaced. Before this, CM Banerjee imposed restrictions on the immersion of Durga idols in 2016 and 2017 to make way for Muharram processions.

Such repeated actions reflect a larger narrative. Blatant Muslim appeasement and discrimination against Hindus, however, is not shocking since TMC leader and a Cabinet Minister in the state government, Firhad Hakim, derided non-Muslims as ‘unfortunate’ and openly called for their religious conversion to Islam. And it doesn't stop there. Not to forget, in ‘Mamata raj’, the people of West Bengal have also seen Shariah court-like ‘Insaf Sabha’ wherein a TMC linked Tajemul Haque, brutally assaults a woman in public and the TMC MLA Hamidul Rahman justifies this Taliban-style flogging by saying that there are some ‘codes’ in a ‘Muslim Rashtra’.

This pattern has followed from one election to the next. From the 2021 Vidhan Sabha election, 2023 Panchayat election and 2024 Lok Sabha election, to now in anti-Waqf agitation in Murshidabad, the local Hindus are paying the price of the ruling government’s Muslim appeasement and an undeclared free hand to Islamists to run riots and attack Hindus under the garb of protesting against Waqf Act.

The horrifying experiences of Sandeshkhali’s women continue to surface even after 14 months of protest and arrests. Another victim, Joshna Das alleged that Sheikh Shahjahan and Shibu Hazra have inflicted countless atrocities on women and the latter has even allegedly usurped her 7.5 Bigha land. She didn’t stop there. She claimed that two years ago, Hazra wanted to grab her land and when her family confronted him, the accused got her elder son killed. In a further shocking claim, she further accused Sheikh Shahjahan of forcing her family to work on their field, however, would not pay them.

The religious climate in the region was no better. A local resident said that the villagers in Sandeshkhali have built a small Shiva temple in a hut, however, they want to construct a proper temple. The atmosphere was so tense that, she added that till Sheikh Shahjajan was out of jail, Hindus were not able to celebrate their festivals or hold fairs (Melas).

Even politically, the momentum seems to have weakened. Villagers informed the media that while the BJP had previously brought the issue of Sandeshkhali’s women to national attention, their current efforts seem less forceful. Besides, the locals told Bhaskar that the BJP, which relentlessly raised the plight of Sandeshkhali women last year, has stopped raising the matter with same intensity. That said, the BJP, however, asserted that they have not forgotten Sandeshkhali and would continue to raise the matter alongside the RG Kar Medical College rape and murder case.

The poor treatment of women in West Bengal has deeper political roots. It’s not a surprise when sexist remarks come from those holding power. In April 2024, Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Satabdi Roy said that the beneficiaries of West Bengal government schemes are chosen based on the ‘beauty’ of their wives. “Only those people whose wives look beautiful will get the money from the government schemes. Those individuals who do not have beautiful wives will not receive any benefits. They had told me this clearly,” Roy said.

This kind of comment is not rare in the state’s political circles. Not to forget, Mamata Banerjee herself has a opprobrious record of downplaying rape cases not once but on multiple occasions. One of the most shocking examples of this was during the RG Kar Medical College rape and murder case, wherein even the Supreme Court criticized the negligence of state authorities in registering FIR and taking action.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s governance style has long been accused of being overly sympathetic to radical elements for political gain. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who has a pathological fixation with fighting the ‘Kafirs’ (non-Muslims, infidels) has long been mollycoddling Islamists and going out of the way to keep her Muslim votebank content.

This bias became visible again when protests erupted across the state. Muslim mobs have been organising violent demonstrations in different parts of West Bengal against the recently implemented Waqf Act, which has been portrayed as an ant-Muslim law by several Muslim leaders as well as opposition parties, including the TMC.

Despite rising tensions, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has voiced her opinion in support of Muslims agitating against the Waqf Act. That support emboldened the protestors, to the point that the state’s top leader voicing her unconditional support to protesting Muslims emboldened them to an extent that Hindus are being attacked by Muslim mobs ‘protesting’ against the Waqf Act, and many local Hindus have been forced to flee. While authorities eventually made arrests, the situation would not have worsened if the state government had not decided to extend support to the Islamists. Sadly, this blatant Muslim appeasement at the cost of sidelining and sacrificing Hindu lives, however, has been the signature of TMC’s three consecutive terms in power.

As per articles published by SatyaagrahIndia, multiple reports have detailed how the West Bengal government has consistently shown a pro-Muslim stance, while ignoring Hindu voices. Earlier this month, the Calcutta High Court granted permission to Hindu outfit ‘Anjani Putra Sena’ to carry out a Ram Navami procession in Howrah after the Mamata government raised objections against it. In defense, CM Banerjee had claimed that those who participate in Ram Navami processions have a tendency to riot.

The targeting of Hindu festivals has a history in the state. It was reported in 2023 that a Durga Mandir was found blocked and barricaded in Kaliachak town in Malda district of West Bengal. The development came a day before the Islamic month of Muharram. Furthermore, before this, CM Banerjee imposed restrictions on the immersion of Durga idols in 2016 and 2017 to make way for Muharram processions.

This repeated pattern reflects a calculated political favoritism. Such blatant Muslim appeasement and discrimination against Hindus, however, is not shocking since TMC leader and a Cabinet Minister in the state government, Firhad Hakim, derided non-Muslims as ‘unfortunate’ and openly called for their religious conversion to Islam.

The situation escalated to levels where even vigilante justice took the shape of religious enforcement. Not to forget, in ‘Mamata raj’, the people of West Bengal have also seen Shariah court-like ‘Insaf Sabha’ wherein a TMC linked Tajemul Haque, brutally assaults a woman in public and the TMC MLA Hamidul Rahman justifies this Taliban-style flogging by saying that there are some ‘codes’ in a ‘Muslim Rashtra’.

Whether it was during the 2021 Vidhan Sabha election, the 2023 Panchayat election, or the 2024 Lok Sabha election, a similar pattern has continued. And now, with the recent anti-Waqf Act agitation in Murshidabad, the local Hindus are paying the price of the ruling government’s Muslim appeasement and an undeclared free hand to Islamists to run riots and attack Hindus under the garb of protesting against Waqf Act.