Panic has gripped more than 2,500 residents of Ekta Floral, a decade-and-a-half-old condominium on Christopher Road, Kolkata, West Bengal after a violent incursion from adjoining Daspara slum dwellers turned Durga Puja festivities into a nightmare.
For over 48 hours, families comprising the elderly, women, and children have been living in fear after groups of men stormed the high-rise, reached flat doors, kicked and knocked aggressively, and issued threats of violence if residents dared to protest.
The tension erupted around 3 am on September 17, when slum youths forcibly took over the condo’s decorative Durga Puja lights, converting them into floodlights for a Vishwakarma Puja night football tournament. According to condo residents, the intruders not only threatened security guards but also forced the main entry gate of the complex to be shut, effectively trapping residents inside.
“The cacophony went on till 3 in the morning. Children were crying, elderly people couldn’t sleep, and the guards were helpless. They even placed a vat near the fire brigade entry gate. When we protested through the security staff, they mocked us,” said Mumtaz Ali, a resident and member of the ad-hoc condo management committee.
What followed was a brazen assault on the sense of security within Ekta Floral. CCTV footage reportedly shows dozens of men entering the complex, taking lifts to upper floors, and then ringing doorbells, pounding on doors, using obscene language, and issuing threats. The harassment lasted nearly 20 minutes before the group dispersed.
Another resident recalled: “We woke up terrified as our kids screamed. This is not new. They regularly intimidate us, treat our property as their own, and even our utility staff and domestic workers from the slum threaten us. But this time, they invaded our homes.”
On September 17 evening, condo residents staged a peaceful silent protest by forming a human chain on Christopher Road, demanding police action. However, the situation spiraled when slum dwellers allegedly attacked the protestors, injuring at least two residents.
“They are now using backdoor pressure to stop us from lodging further complaints. We are being silenced in our own homes,” alleged Ali.
Slum representatives, however, denied physical violence. Ramzan Ali, a local, countered: “A tournament was going on. When the finals were being played, condo residents disrupted the match by throwing items from their flats. We only went to protest. The guards misbehaved with us. Nobody attacked their doors.”
Despite the severity of the allegations, residents accuse the police of inaction. DC (Eastern Suburban) Gaurav Lal confirmed that a case of trespassing has been lodged and CCTV footage is being examined.
“The Tangra police intervened and are investigating. So far, no footage shows outsiders kicking or banging doors. We urge residents to provide evidence,” Lal stated. Residents, however, remain unconvinced, pointing to CCTV clips in their possession and accusing authorities of downplaying the terror unleashed.
With more than 450 families now barricading themselves indoors, Ekta Floral has become a microcosm of Kolkata’s uneasy relationship between urban housing projects and sprawling slums. The fear of reprisal keeps many from filing formal complaints, while the lack of swift police response deepens the residents’ sense of abandonment.
“This is not just a fight over lights or football,” said a resident. “This is about our right to live safely in our own homes. If trespassers can storm into a gated community and threaten families without consequence, then no one in this city is safe.”
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