Bengal’s priests and drummers fear harassment while travelling for festive season

For priests and dhakis from West Bengal, travelling outside the state for Durga Puja is no longer carefree.

Reports of Bengali-speaking migrants being harassed in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Delhi, and Rajasthan have left many fearful this year.

The festive season once meant cultural exchange and steady earnings. Now, it comes with warnings to carry Aadhaar, voter IDs, and even property papers, to avoid suspicion in several BJP-ruled states.

“When we hear about atrocities against Bengali migrant labourers in other states, it frightens us and our families,” Bapi Das, director of a dhaki troupe, told NDTV. His 100-member group has bookings in Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Guwahati. Each member is expected to earn Rs 20,000–25,000 during the week-long festival.

Another female dhaki from Ashoknagar said the income helps buy clothes, books, and pay off loans. But she added, “Now, I wonder if I will be stopped or harassed for speaking Bengali?” Her colleague Mitali Barui said rehearsals feel tense. “We have been instructed that whoever travels to other states from our troupe should keep all their IDs, including copies of their parents' IDs, and if needed, property papers and local panchayat certificates, too.”

Priests are also uneasy. From Ghatal, Ashok Mishra said, “Earlier, we carried only our sacred texts and lists of rituals. This year, we have advised all priests travelling outside Bengal to carry Aadhaar cards, voter IDs, and even property papers.”

Another priest, Arun Bhattacharya from North 24 Parganas, said, “We are religious professionals. It is deeply humiliating to be treated like suspects when all we carry are our scriptures and devotion. Still, I can't afford to lose this year's income. My family depends on it.”

The growing anxiety has sparked political debate in Bengal. A senior Trinamool Congress leader said, “It is unacceptable that people providing cultural and religious services are made to feel unsafe and unwelcome. Such developments are deeply disturbing and unconstitutional.”

Opposition leaders allege this reflects an attempt to impose a homogenised cultural narrative, sidelining regional identities.

BJP leaders, however, insist security checks are routine and not meant to target Bengalis. “There is no instruction to target Bengalis or any linguistic group,” said a BJP leader.