The Dhulian market, in the heart of the strife-torn Samserganj in Murshidabad, has for years officially remained closed only on Tuesdays.

On Sunday, the usually bustling market appeared completely deserted. Only one or two shops were open, and there were very few people on the streets — many visibly panicked and distressed by the recent violence in their area over the past two days during protests over the contentious Waqf (Amendment) Act.

Sorrow, fear and confusion were writ large on faces across communities, as both Hindus and Muslims said that the violence spared no one.

Adhir Rabidas, 60, and Humayun Momin, 39, both owned sweetmeat shops separated by barely 800 metres at Dhulian Bazar.

Both traders claimed they lost property worth ₹5–6 lakh when armed criminals vandalised and looted their shops on Friday.

Rabidas and Momin both said what happened should never be repeated, as they now truly understand how violence — especially communal clashes — can destroy lives and livelihoods.

“I don’t want to blame any community, but I know that those who destroyed my only source of survival for my four children and elderly mother are goons. My request to everyone is that this must stop. Please help poor people like us return to normalcy,” said Momin, sitting at a tea stall near a mosque in Samserganj.

In a virtual echo, Rabidas said: “Whom can I blame? They broke the door of my small shop and stole everything. Now I want compensation. I request everyone to ensure there is no repeat of such violence.”

While the BJP has framed the Samserganj incident as part of a polarisation narrative, citing the exodus of Hindu families and the murder of a father-son duo, not only Momin or Rabidas, but most people from both Hindu and Muslim communities asserted that the communal clash caused harm to all.

“We don’t know about politics, but I can say that no one was spared—neither Hindu nor Muslim — as the area witnessed attacks and counterattacks,” said a local trader.

An outlet of a supermarket chain was completely looted by goons. An employee claimed the value of the looted goods could exceed ₹2 crore. “Hundreds of people looted the outlet for three hours. We saved our lives by escaping through the building’s emergency exit. We couldn’t save the property because during violence life becomes priority,” said the employee, who did not wish to be named.

He pointed to two adjacent shops — one owned by a Hindu, the other by a Muslim.

“See, both shops were vandalised and looted. How can I say it was just Hindus or just Muslims? Those people were goons and criminals,” he added.

People from both communities expressed dissatisfaction with the role of local Trinamool Congress leaders.

They claimed that although four ruling party lawmakers — Jangipur MP Khalilur Rahaman, Samserganj MLA Amirul Islam, Farakka MLA Manirul Islam, and Sagardighi MLA Bayron Biswas — were residents of Samserganj, they failed to stop the rampage.

“People are aggrieved because the actions of the leaders have not been satisfactory in the past couple of days. Why did they fail to control the riot?” asked a local trader in Dhuliyan.

A TMC insider admitted to the lack of coordination and internal conflict among party leaders, leading to “organisational lapses” in Suti and Samserganj areas.

Following the deaths of three people in the past two days, 25-year-old Samser Nadab was injured in an alleged police firing on Saturday evening. He has been admitted to a Murshidabad hospital.

A police source said that around 150 persons had been arrested so far, and raids were on to apprehend others involved in the violence.