New Delhi: A powerful photo exhibition titled ‘Shifting the Lens’ at Delhi’s Constitution Club of India has brought to light the targeted violence against Hindus in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district.
Organized by Organiser Weekly, the event showcased harrowing images by journalist Nishant Kumar Azad, who documented burnt homes, vandalized temples, and displaced families.
Former Rajya Sabha MP Swapan Dasgupta warned that the violence is not random but part of a deliberate campaign. “What is happening in West Bengal and Bangladesh is not different,” he said, citing Betbona village where “only Hindu houses were selectively targeted… Muslim houses remained untouched, but the neighbouring Hindu house was destroyed using petrol and bombs.”
BJP MLA Agnimitra Paul recounted horrific incidents, including the murders of two Hindu hawkers, Hargovindo Das and Chandan Das, solely for their faith. “Women were raped, temples desecrated, and families forced to flee across rivers,” she said.
Organiser Weekly editor Prafulla Ketkar dismissed claims that BJP’s rise triggered the violence, asking, “Why does this happen in Bengal and Kerala, not BJP-ruled states like Madhya Pradesh?” The exhibition served as a grim reminder of the silence surrounding Hindu persecution in Bengal.
