The Sarvajanin Durga Puja Committee of Chakfuldubi Bazaar in Sagardwip, South 24 Parganas, was forced by the local administration to dismantle its Durga Puja pandal themed on Operation Sindoor, the Indian Army’s celebrated campaign against Pakistan.
The committee, dejected by the intervention, has decided to return the Rs 1.10 lakh state grant provided by the West Bengal government to all puja organisers this year. For them, dismantling the pandal was not just an administrative diktat but an insult to the nation’s armed forces and their sacrifices.
Operation Sindoor stands as a proud symbol of India’s military valor and strategic superiority over Pakistan. The decision to use it as a pandal theme was, according to organisers, intended to inspire devotion and patriotism during Bengal’s grandest cultural festival. Instead, the administration’s objection has converted the celebration into a political flashpoint, raising questions over why a theme celebrating India’s soldiers should invite state pressure at all.
Union Minister and former BJP Bengal president Sukanta Majumdar minced no words. “Operation Sindoor is not a party symbol—it is a national symbol of our Army’s heroism. The administration’s objection is shameful. If anyone opposes it, they should face charges of treason,” he said. Majumdar further asserted that no state authority has the right to dictate the artistic themes of Durga Puja, which for decades has been a canvas for social, historical, and national narratives.
Predictably, the Trinamool Congress tried to deflect blame. Local MLA and state minister Bankim Hazra claimed the committee members were aligned with the BJP and accused them of manufacturing controversy for political mileage. “False propaganda is being spread everywhere,” Hazra insisted. But critics note that this line of defense does not explain why the administration moved to block a pandal theme centered on the Indian Army.
