West Bengal theatre artist attacked after Hindutva goons mistake him for Muslim
Kolkata: In another disturbing instance of religious profiling in India, a Hindu theatre artist was brutally assaulted by Hindutva goons after they mistook him for a Muslim because of his traditional attire.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Subhankar Dassharma, a theatre artist from West Bengal state, said the incident occurred on July 28 in the town of Shyamnagar as he was returning home after a theatre performance.
In a Facebook post, Dassharma said that four men confronted him after noticing he was wearing a black kurta and pajamas, clothing they associated with Muslims. He said the men repeatedly questioned him about his religion. When he asked why his faith mattered to them and said he was under no obligation to disclose it to strangers, the confrontation turned violent.
He said the attackers dragged him, continued demanding that he identify his religion and began beating him. Dassharma said he eventually told them he was Muslim, following which the men repeatedly assaulted him while chanting “Jai Shri Ram”. He said they struck him on the head, eyes, ears and chest before knocking him unconscious and tearing his kurta.
After regaining consciousness, Dassharma said he managed to return home but remained in severe pain for several days before seeking medical treatment. He said fear initially prevented him from speaking publicly about the assault and that he shared details only with a few close friends, hoping to avoid further trouble.
He said he later decided to make the incident public after seeing abusive comments directed at his sister on social media.
The assault drew condemnation from members of West Bengal’s theatre community. Theater activist Joyraj Bhattacharya said remaining silent in the face of identity-based violence ultimately enables further persecution, urging artists to stand in solidarity with victims rather than remain neutral.
