West Bengal is a culturally rich state in eastern India, known for its literature, art, festivals, and historic cities like Kolkata.
The defacement of a graffiti mural in Dhaka has reignited debates over Bangladesh’s cultural identity. Why does Rabindranath Tagore, whose Amar Sonar Bangla is the national anthem, remain a contested figure amid religious nationalism, political upheaval and cultural intolerance?
Tanvia Barua12mins read
West Bengal Bypolls: The BJP leads by massive margins in the Nandigram and Rejinagar bypolls, raising questions about opposition unity and changing electoral equations in West Bengal. The results also spark debate over minority voting patterns and the BJP’s expanding political reach.
A political row has erupted at Jadavpur University after a Left-led convention featuring AISA national president Neha Bora. Amid allegations of procedural lapses and protests from ABVP and ABRSM, Vice-Chancellor Chiranjib Bhattacharya dissolved the programme approval and monitoring committee.
The SIR debate has largely focused on the Election Commission, but another institution deserves equal scrutiny: the Supreme Court. When millions risk losing their voting rights, the question is not only what the Commission has done, but what the judiciary did.
In Kumartuli, where generations of artisans shape Bengal’s iconic Durga idols, women remain a small minority. Despite physical demands, social barriers and declining interest among younger workers, artists like China Pal, Mala Pal and Kakali Pal are slowly challenging the male-dominated tradition.
The West Bengal government plans to introduce a Bill to rename the state Paschim Banga, reviving a name-change debate that has continued since 1999. Why has the proposal returned now, and what does the new name signify?
The Nandigram and Rejinagar by-elections are the first major electoral test of Bengal’s new political landscape after the BJP’s 2026 Assembly victory. Amid high turnout, electoral-roll disputes, arrests and allegations of irregularities, the contests raise wider questions about democracy and representation.
“When blood is shed in Delhi, Kolkata feels the pain. And when blood is shed in Kolkata, Delhi will surely stand with us.” From battered bodies to unbroken voices, Neha Bora’s message was simple: resistance survives through solidarity across cities and struggles.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has set a six-month deadline for implementing the Uniform Civil Code, with anti-conversion and land laws to follow. The announcement puts Bengal at the centre of India’s decade-long UCC debate — and raises fresh questions over what the proposed code will change..
For 220 years, Darjipara’s Rajkrishna Mitra Bari has held Durga Puja in its own distinctive way. From raw ingredients offered as naivedya and sugar replacing animal sacrifice to fish-rice before Dashami Boron, every ritual carries a story of family and tradition.
West Bengal’s SIR has left over 22 lakh excluded voters waiting on appeals, even as the EC launches a fresh post-SIR enrolment drive. But can re-enrolment remedy a deletion that remains legally contested?
West Bengal’s post-election violence has raised fresh questions about political accountability. As allegations, arrests, court proceedings and independent conflict data point in different directions, the BJP continues to deny responsibility. The larger question remains: how long can political denial survive evidence?
From July to October, protests over alleged delays and non-receipt of Annapurna Bhandar payments have surfaced across West Bengal. Women have surrounded government offices, blocked roads and, in one reported instance, railway tracks, with fresh demonstrations emerging at Kolkata’s Seva Setu camps.
West Bengal’s decision to close 933 government-aided schools with little or no enrolment raises a larger question about the future of public education. While administrative restructuring may be necessary in some cases, the government must first examine why these schools became empty, whether their decline could have been reversed, and how closures will affect communities, access and public trust in government schools.
Srijit Mukherji’s Winkle Twinkle examines whether communism can survive changing times, generations and political realities. Through Sabyasachi Sen’s return to a transformed world, the film explores ideological faith, political relevance, adaptation and the uneasy inheritance of political belief.
Two years after the RG Kar murder, fresh questions over the cremation and investigation have brought another legal chapter before the court.