Posters urging residents to buy biryani and Durga Puja items from Hindu-owned shops have appeared across Siliguri, triggering controversy among residents, political leaders and the Hindu Jagaran Manch ahead of the festival.
The posters, reported across several parts of the city on Sunday morning, reportedly state that people are not being asked to stop eating biryani, but should buy it from Hindu shops. Other posters urge residents to purchase Puja materials from Hindu-owned establishments. Their appearance in public spaces has led to a dispute over whether such messaging amounts to an attempt to influence citizens’ commercial choices on religious lines.
Local residents told Sangbad Pratidin that they had lived in the area for years but had not previously seen posters of this nature. Some residents questioned the basis for directing people to buy from a particular community’s businesses, saying consumers should be free to choose shops according to their own preferences.
Abhishek Das, Siliguri Mahanagar convener of the Hindu Jagaran Manch, said the organisation’s posters were intended to raise awareness about several issues, including drugs and online fraud. He alleged that the controversy was focusing selectively on the references to Hindu shopkeepers, rather than on the organisation’s broader awareness campaign.
The posters have also drawn reactions from political leaders. Former Siliguri mayor Gautam Deb said India is a secular country and questioned the presence of such messaging in the city. He said residents should see the posters and form their own judgment.
Former Communist Party of India (Marxist) legislator from Siliguri, Ashok Bhattacharya, condemned the posters and accused the Hindu Jagaran Manch of creating divisions between communities. He said no organisation could decide where people should shop and argued that such messaging could affect the future of businesses in a city where Marwari and Nepali communities also live and operate businesses. Bhattacharya said either the police or those who installed the posters should remove them.
Bharatiya Janata Party district president Arun Mandal defended the position reflected in the posters. He said that, according to Hindu Sanatani practices, some Hindus do not eat halal food and described religion as part of culture. He also drew a comparison with Muslim personal law while responding to the criticism.
The dispute comes amid continuing public arguments in West Bengal over vegetarian and non-vegetarian food during the period leading up to Durga Puja. The latest episode places commercial activity, religious identity and the use of public spaces at the centre of a civic controversy in Siliguri.
The report did not cite any police order, municipal notice or official direction concerning the posters. The immediate administrative response, including whether the posters will be removed or whether any action will be taken, was not stated in the supplied report.
