A theatre activist was allegedly assaulted near Shyamnagar railway station in North 24 parganas district of West Bengal, about 35 km from Kolkata, after a group of men targeted him because they believed he was Muslim based on his black kurta and pyjamas.
The victim, Subhankar Dassharma, was returning to his home at Lenin Nagar after a theatre performance in Kolkata when he was attacked around midnight on July 28. Deeply traumatised by the assault, he remained locked inside his house for a couple of days, before gathering the courage to speak out.
A Facebook post shared by Dassharma shows him with a face bruised and battered.
“Are You a Muslim?”
Speaking to Alt News, Dassharma, who is associated with a theatre group named ‘JanaGanaMana’, said, “I reached Shyamnagar station a little before 12 that night, as I had a theatre show in Kolkata. Soon after, I left the station and started moving towards Chowranghee crossing to get public transport. The lane was dark and desolate at that time, with all the shops closed. Suddenly four young men came and confronted me, asking me whether I was a Muslim or not. This confrontation led to my assault.”
Recounting the incident in greater detail, he said, “To be honest, I was taken aback at the sheer audacity of the question. They just came up to me and asked that just because I was wearing a black kurta and pyjama, whether I am a Muslim or not. I retorted saying NSG commandos also wore all-black dress, did it make them Muslims as well? But the group of youth kept on insisting. Their body language was extremely aggressive.”
Dassharma said he then made a conscious decision not to say that he is not a Muslim simply to save himself.
“At that moment, I felt that it would be a sin to say that I am a Hindu just to save my skin, as it would mean that I cowered under their threat. So I said, ‘What if I am a Muslim? Doesn’t this country also belong to Muslims? Is it a crime to be a Muslim?”
According to him, this response infuriated the group. “Within seconds, the verbal volleys transformed into physical assault. They started punching and kicking me.”
“They punched my face, my eyes and under my ears. When I fell down on the road to save myself, they kicked my ribcage and my back as well. Soon I lost consciousness.”
He said he remained unconscious on the road for a considerable period.
“I was unconscious and lay on the spot for a considerable period of time. As the last train had already passed, no passer-by went through that road and nobody came to my rescue. I gradually regained my senses and dragged myself home. As I live alone, I kept myself shut for two days, processing the initial impact of the trauma.”
Complaint Says Assailants Raised ‘Jai Sri Ram’ Slogan
Dassharma lodged a complaint with Noapara police via email. Alt News has seen the complaint. In it, he stated that his attackers were shouting “Jai Sri Ram” while repeatedly punching and kicking him.
Before approaching police, Dassharma visited the emergency department of Dr B N Bose Sub-Divisional Hospital in Barrackpore for primary treatment. Owing to the severity of his injuries, doctors advised him to seek specialised treatment. He subsequently revisited the hospital on July 3 and July 4 for further medical care.
“I visited the ENT and Orthopaedics departments. The doctors said pus and fluid have accumulated near my eardrum because it ruptured during the assault. I might need surgery to completely recover. As a theatre practitioner, I need good auditory senses. Otherwise, it might affect my career. I also have injuries in my rib cage.”
Somnath Dubey, a police officer from Noapara police station told Alt News on August 6 that an investigation was underway.
“Traumatised, but why should I Stay Silent?”
After Dassharma shared his account on Facebook, theatre activist Joyraj Bhattacharya played a key role in amplifying the incident.
Bhattacharya told Alt News, “It is evident that supporters of the current ruling party of West Bengal assaulted Subhankar. I am proud of him for taking a stand for the marginalised community and standing up to this brutish force. This is the exact essence that the art of theatre tries to embody. The entire theatre fraternity has stood beside him. We all are extremely worried. We are figuring out our course of action, and we intend to hold protests against this hooliganism along with exploring legal options.”
Saying that he feels unsafe in his own locality, Dassharma added, “No neighbourhood is safe. Mob culture has been unleashed across the state. Eggs are being pelted at the accused, the police are openly dehumanising the accused, parading them semi-naked with ropes tied around their waists. This was never the culture of Bengal. If so many people are suffering, how can I expect to be an exception?”
Dassharma said he initially did not want to publicise the incident because he was scared.
“I initially thought I might be able to resolve this situation locally, so I didn’t want to make it public. I was traumatised and was concerned about my safety. But when my sister wrote about the incident on social media, and I saw the comments from BJP supporters, I decided to write about it on Facebook and take the necessary steps. Why should I stay silent?”
