Locals burn effigy of Christian priests in Basanti, WB

A group of locals in Basanti, South 24 Parganas, West Bengal on Thursday (November 5, 2026) burnt effigies of local Christian priests and submitted a memorandum to the police station against the local priests. Basanti has been in turmoil since November 1 after a newly constructed church was vandalized by a mob wearing Hindutva garb.

The protest on Thursday (November 5, 2026) was organized by the Adivasi Eilya Parishad, a grassroots organization whose representatives said that Adivasis are being lured into conversion on the promise of curing the disease, which should not be allowed.

In a press statement, the West Bengal branch of the National Christian Council (NCC) added that effigies of local priests were burnt at the Chowmatha crossing in Basanti.

“Later in the evening, during the Friday prayer service, a group of approximately 20-25 people allegedly surrounded the women attending the service. According to complaints received, the women were forced to break their traditional shell bangles (Shakha) and wipe their vermilion (Sindoor),” the press statement said.

Father Parimal Kanji, a priest in Basanti, said the alleged perpetrators were foreigners, not locals, and confirmed that a written complaint had been lodged with the police.

Arpan Rana, state general secretary of the National Christian Council said that Christian communities in West Bengal are not seeking confrontation but justice, equal protection and the rule of law. “The Chief Minister talks about religious freedom, but the practical experience of some minority communities raises serious questions about their safety and security,” Mr. Rana said.

Herod Mullick, the founding state secretary of Bangiya Chrisityo Pariseba said the silence of the government and administration encouraged the attackers who moved from targeting small independent congregations to raiding older established churches.

“While the police are well aware of the situation and continue to receive written complaints, mysteriously no legal action is being taken against anyone, so the government’s continued silence is puzzling and suspicious,” he said.

According to Basanti Police Station, an FIR has been registered in connection with the Church attack incident and notices have been issued to some of the accused.

After the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power, there was an increase in attacks on churches and Christian congregations. According to Christian organizations, the US-based research project India Hate Lab documented at least 60 cases of hate crimes and targeted attacks against Christians in West Bengal in 13 districts between May 13 and September 20 this year.

Earlier this week, a public hearing of mob attack survivors was held in Kolkata where people from several districts participated and shared their experiences.

Published – 8 Nov 2026 03:20 IST