Kolkata, March 26 – Several areas across different districts of West Bengal have been placed under heavy security since Thursday morning, in anticipation of tension and violence during Ram Navami processions later in the day.
Special security measures have been implemented across the entire Hooghly district, adjacent to Kolkata, Chandannagar in Hooghly district, and Islampur in North Dinajpur district, considering past instances of large-scale violence and riot-like situations during processions, especially in 2025.
On Wednesday evening, an emergency virtual meeting was held at the state secretariat, Nabanna, which was chaired by Chief Secretary Dushyant Nariala and attended by, among others, the state home secretary, Sanghamitra Ghosh, and the state director general of police, Siddh Nath Gupta, along with district magistrates and district police superintendents.
"Multiple instructions have been given to the police to ensure that there is no unrest during the processions. There will be extra vigilance in Howrah, Chandannagar, and Islampur, due to past instances of violence and tension in these areas during processions. It was decided that a total of 3,000 police officers will be deployed in different districts solely to ensure a stable law and order situation during the processions," said a state government official who was present at the meeting.
At the same time, he added that special focus has been given to Kolkata, and around 1,000 police personnel will be deployed in the city, along with managing the security of different processions on the occasion of Ram Navami.
Meanwhile, cyber surveillance is being constantly carried out to prevent the spread of provocative posts on the occasion.
All District Magistrates, Police Commissioners, and Superintendents of Police have been asked to conduct this special surveillance until March 29, considering that there have been instances in the past of tension surfacing even a couple of days after the auspicious occasion.
At the same time, clear instructions have been given that Ram Navami processions would be allowed to move only through the routes specified by the police, and under no circumstances would more than 500 participants in one procession be allowed. Participants have been barred from carrying lethal and sharp weapons while participating in the procession.
There will also be drone surveillance and CCTV surveillance on the processions. Police teams will be both in front and behind each procession. There will also be plain-clothed police to keep watch and identify potential troublemakers.