Nibeditaa SpeaksKnown as Buju da in his neighbourhood, Bipul Dasgupta urged those who tried to ransack his party’s book stall to read instead, as attacks on Left-run stalls during Durga Puja intensified an ideological battle in West Bengal.
“I told those who came to ransack our book stall to read our books.”
At 73, Bipul Dasgupta may appear frail, but the lifelong Communist Party of India (Marxist) worker refused to back down when a book stall came under attack during Durga Puja celebrations in West Bengal. Known affectionately as Buju da in his neighbourhood, Dasgupta’s response to the incident has drawn attention amid a series of attacks on book stalls run by Left parties across the state.
For Dasgupta, the answer to hostility was not confrontation but reading. His belief remains rooted in a conviction he has carried throughout his life: understanding the world begins with books, and education is essential to changing society.
“To know the world, you have to read … only education can change society,” he says.
His stand came against the backdrop of a turbulent Durga Puja season for Left organisations, whose book stalls became targets of attacks in several parts of West Bengal over a period of around 10 days.
Left book stalls targeted across Bengal
As people gathered to celebrate Durga Puja, book stalls set up by Left parties around festival pandals faced attacks in multiple locations. The affected organisations included the CPI(M), Forward Bloc and CPI(ML) Liberation.
The reported incidents stretched from Jadavpur and Nagerbazar in Kolkata to Howrah, Bardhaman, Paschim Medinipur and Cooch Behar in North Bengal.
The attacks unfolded against the backdrop of a sharpening ideological contest in the state, where political disagreements increasingly played out in public spaces during one of Bengal’s most important festivals.
Book stalls have long been part of the cultural and political landscape around Durga Puja. Alongside the celebrations, they offer visitors an opportunity to browse books, engage with political ideas and encounter literature outside conventional educational settings.
For Left parties, these stalls have also served as a means of taking their political and ideological literature directly to the public.
The recent attacks therefore raised concerns not only about political hostility but also about the space available for the exchange of ideas during public celebrations.
The reasons cited for the incidents varied, according to the report. The available excerpt, however, does not provide enough detail to establish the circumstances of each attack or identify those responsible.
A lifelong belief in the power of books
Dasgupta’s response stood out because he chose to appeal to the very activity that his attackers were threatening: reading.
Rather than abandon the idea behind the stall, he urged those who arrived to ransack it to engage with its books. His message was consistent with his long-standing belief that education can help people understand society and challenge existing assumptions.
For a lifelong CPI(M) worker, the book stall represents more than a place to distribute political literature. It is also a space where ideas can be encountered, questioned and debated.
His insistence on reading reflects a broader tradition of political engagement in which books and public discussion have played a role in shaping ideological identities.
At a time when political differences can spill into confrontation, Dasgupta’s appeal offered a different response: engage with the ideas before rejecting them.
Durga Puja and Bengal’s ideological contest
The attacks on Left-run book stalls occurred during Durga Puja, when neighbourhoods across West Bengal become centres of public gatherings, cultural programmes and community activities.
The festival also creates opportunities for political organisations to interact with residents beyond conventional party meetings and election campaigns.
Book stalls are one such point of contact. They allow parties to present their ideas to visitors who may not otherwise enter a party office or attend a political event.
The reported incidents across several districts suggest that these spaces have become entangled in the wider ideological contest playing out in Bengal. However, the available account does not establish a common motive behind every incident.
For those who organise the stalls, the attacks raise questions about whether political literature can continue to be displayed and discussed freely in public spaces without the threat of disruption.
Why Dasgupta’s response matters
At 73, Dasgupta’s message is striking in its simplicity. He did not respond to the attempted ransacking by abandoning his belief in books. Instead, he asked those who opposed the stall to read what it contained.
His words return the debate to a fundamental question: can disagreements over political ideas be addressed through discussion rather than intimidation?
For Dasgupta, the answer begins with education. Reading, in his view, allows people to look beyond immediate political divisions and develop a wider understanding of the world.
The attacks on book stalls have brought West Bengal’s ideological tensions into view during a festival associated with community participation and cultural expression. Dasgupta’s response offers a reminder that public spaces can serve not only as arenas for political competition but also as places where ideas are shared and challenged.
His appeal was modest, but its message was clear: before trying to silence a book, open it.
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