Bengal will be on "high alert" this Sunday as the state is expected to witness Ram Navami celebrations on an unprecedented scale, with the Sangh Parivar's plan to organise around 2,000 processions.
The celebrations have already begun in various parts of the state, with senior BJP leaders like Suvendu Adhikari and Dilip Ghosh participating in Ram Navami programmes on Saturday. While Adhikari unveiled a statue of Ram in Nadia's Ranaghat, Ghosh joined a procession in Belda, West Midnapore.
However, the Hindutva fervour will not end with Sunday's day-long celebrations. The Sangh Parivar has launched a programme to reach out to people across the state with a narrative connecting Ram to Bengal to counter the Opposition's claim that Ram Navami celebrations are not a part of Bengal’s cultural ethos.
To "establish" their argument, the Sangh Parivar referred to murals in dozens of temples where stories of Ram and the Ramayana are depicted. As part of their campaign to link Ram with Bengal, of the many temples they have referred to, Jorbangla Krishna Roy temple in Bankura's Bishnupur stands out. King Raghunath Malla Dev of Bishnupur built the temple in 1655. This temple features murals depicting mothers caring for Ram and his three brothers.
The campaign has been named "Banglar Ram and Rammoy Bangla" (Bengal’s Ram and Ram-oriented Bengal), with various saffron camps sharing Ram’s connections to Bengal on social media. RSS volunteers and other saffron groups will visit rural areas to spread the narrative.
"Like other parts of the country, Bengal is deeply connected with Ram. This has been evident for hundreds of years. Those denying this truth do so at their own risk. The people of Bengal will not fall for any narrative that contradicts these facts," said Biplab Roy, state media coordinator of the RSS for south Bengal, in Calcutta.
Academic Pabitra Sarkar challenged the saffron camp’s narrative, saying there was a significant difference between the Ram of Bengali folklore and the warrior-like Ram promoted by the BJP and Sangh Parivar.
"Ram has been a part of Bengal’s culture and folklore for generations. In various folk tales, women pray for a husband like Ram or a brother-in-law like Lakshman. But the Ram that Bengal cherishes is a soft-hearted, obedient son. Any attempt to replace that image with a warrior figure will not be accepted by Bengalis," said Sarkar.
An RSS source noted that despite the Trinamool Congress and CPM asserting that Ram Navami was rooted in north Indian culture and not linked to Bengal’s traditions, the number of rallies and participants had grown significantly since the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
"The recent turmoil in Bangladesh, where allegations of Hindu oppression have emerged following the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has had an impact on Hindus in this part of Bengal. We expect participation in Ram Navami celebrations to double compared to previous years," said a BJP leader.
He added that if the BJP could consolidate just 5–6 per cent more Hindu votes, it could pose a serious challenge to Mamata Banerjee’s bid for a fourth consecutive term.
Massive police arrangements have been made across the state, including in Calcutta, which will witness at least 59 processions — some with thousands of participants.
In parts of Howrah, Calcutta and Hooghly, police have deployed drones to monitor the movement of processions.
Liquor outlets to close
A section of liquor shops and bars will remain closed in Siliguri and Raiganj during Ram Navami celebrations on Sunday. The decision was taken by the outlets' owners.
Additional reporting by our Siliguri bureau