Tension zones in Bengal under tight security ahead of Ram Navami
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Kolkata: Security has been significantly heightened across tension-prone areas in West Bengal since Thursday morning in anticipation of potential unrest during Ram Navami processions later in the day.
Special security arrangements have been put in place across the Kolkata-adjacent Hooghly district, Chandannagar in Hooghly, and Islampur in North Dinajpur, in view of previous instances of large-scale violence and riot-like situations during processions, particularly in 2025.
On Wednesday evening, an emergency virtual meeting was held at the state secretariat, Nabanna, chaired by Chief Secretary Dushyant Nariala. The meeting was attended by State Home Secretary Sanghamitra Ghosh, State Director General of Police Siddh Nath Gupta, district magistrates, and district police superintendents, among others.
“Multiple instructions have been issued to police personnel to ensure that the processions remain peaceful. Extra vigilance will be maintained in Howrah, Chandannagar, and Islampur due to their history of violence during such events. A total of 3,000 police officers will be deployed across districts to maintain law and order during the processions,” said a state government official present at the meeting.
Special attention has also been given to Kolkata, where around 1,000 police personnel will be deployed to secure the city and monitor various processions on the occasion of Ram Navami. Cyber surveillance is being actively conducted to prevent the spread of provocative posts during the celebrations.
District Magistrates, Police Commissioners, and Superintendents of Police have been instructed to continue this heightened surveillance until March 29, acknowledging that tensions have historically surfaced even days after the festival.
The state government has also issued clear guidelines for the processions: they must follow police-specified routes, and each procession cannot have more than 500 participants. Carrying lethal or sharp weapons during processions is strictly prohibited.
Additional security measures include drone and CCTV surveillance. Police teams will be stationed both in front of and behind each procession, with plain-clothed officers monitoring crowds to identify and neutralise potential troublemakers.
With IANS inputs