Violence over disputed Waqf land management has claimed three lives in West Bengal and pushed the state into a political and legal crisis. The Calcutta High Court has responded with urgency, ordering the deployment of central forces throughout the state in an effort to stabilize the situation before upcoming local elections.
The unrest began as community-led protests in the districts of Bhangar and Chopra, where residents accused local Waqf boards and political figures of illegal leasing and sale of religious trust lands. These properties, governed by Islamic law and intended for charitable and religious purposes, have long been under scrutiny for lack of transparency and alleged political misuse.
On the day of the protests, tension boiled over when law enforcement attempted to disperse crowds that had blocked roads and staged sit-ins. According to police sources, the situation escalated when protestors turned violent, damaging government vehicles and pelting stones. Police reportedly fired warning shots, but in the chaos, three people were fatally shot—one of whom was a teenage boy according to local sources. Several others sustained serious injuries.
Footage shared on social media shows scenes of panic, plumes of smoke, and heavily armed officers trying to contain protestors. Public anger intensified when it emerged that security reinforcements were not immediately available in some areas, despite prior warnings of unrest.
In an emergency hearing, the Calcutta High Court sharply criticized the State Election Commission (SEC) for what it called a “failure of anticipation” and “dereliction of duty.” The court ordered that central paramilitary forces be deployed within 48 hours across all 23 districts of the state, with particular emphasis on districts already flagged for communal sensitivity or historical polling-related violence.
The order further directed that each sensitive polling booth be guarded by central force personnel, not local police, and asked the SEC to file a detailed compliance report within 72 hours. The judiciary also hinted at the possibility of contempt proceedings if the court’s directives are not implemented in full.
Political leaders were quick to weigh in. The TMC government accused external groups of “fomenting unrest for electoral gains,” while opposition leaders demanded an independent audit of all Waqf land records in the state. Civil society groups and legal experts echoed these calls, noting that the Waqf system urgently needs structural reform and digitization.
As curfews were imposed in violence-hit zones and internet services restricted to prevent rumor-mongering, citizens across Bengal are left grappling with both grief and uncertainty. The question now is whether this judicial crackdown and central force deployment will prevent further escalation—or if it is merely a temporary pause in a much larger conflict.
