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Attack on Anandabazar Patrika Intensifies Debate Over Saffron Hooliganism
Anandabazar Patrika used the phrase “saffron hooliganism” in a headline about a university clash.
Some people connected to the Bharatiya Janata Party said the phrase insulted the saffron color associated with Hinduism and their party.
They asked the newspaper to apologize.
On September 1, a larger group came to the newspaper’s Kolkata office and painted parts of its wall saffron.
They also shouted slogans against the newspaper.
A journalist said the protest was meant to frighten the staff.
The newspaper did not apologize, according to the journalist.
The journalist said police did not stop the protesters.
He argued that the incident was about the freedom of the press, not just one headline.
A mob including Bharatiya Janata Party members painted saffron markings on Anandabazar Patrika’s Kolkata office wall on September 1.
The protesters demanded an apology for the newspaper’s “saffron hooliganism” headline about violence at Jadavpur University.
The headline referred to clashes between Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad members and Left-affiliated student groups on August 20.
A newspaper journalist said the attack was unprecedented and that police appeared to remain passive during the protest.
The journalist said the incident created fear in the newsroom and raised broader concerns about press freedom.
- Who
- Anandabazar Patrika, protesters including Bharatiya Janata Party members, and West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari.
- What
- A mob protested against the newspaper’s “saffron hooliganism” headline, painted its office compound wall saffron, and demanded an apology.
- Where
- Anandabazar Patrika’s office in Kolkata, West Bengal.
- When
- The main attack occurred on September 1; the disputed headline concerned violence on August 20, and an earlier police case was registered on August 28.
- Why
- The protesters said the headline insulted saffron; the newspaper said it accurately described the Jadavpur University violence.
Newspaper and Press-Freedom Concerns
Protesters and Saffron-Insult Claims
Meaning of the headline
Newspaper and Press-Freedom Concerns
The newspaper journalist said the headline accurately described the Jadavpur University violence and was supported by the article and photographs.
Protesters and Saffron-Insult Claims
The protesters and Suvendu Adhikari treated the phrase “saffron hooliganism” as an insult to saffron and demanded an apology.
How disagreements should be handled
Newspaper and Press-Freedom Concerns
The journalist said critics could write to the editor and use democratic forms of protest rather than intimidate the newsroom.
Protesters and Saffron-Insult Claims
The protesters used slogans and a demonstration at the office to pressure the newspaper to apologize.
Role of the authorities
Newspaper and Press-Freedom Concerns
The journalist alleged that the chief minister’s warning encouraged hostility and said police remained passive while the wall was painted.
Protesters and Saffron-Insult Claims
The article reports the police and government actions but does not include a direct response from them to those allegations.
Key facts
- Publication
- Anandabazar Patrika, described in the article as one of India’s oldest and Bengal’s most-read newspapers.
- Protested phrase
- “Gerua gundami,” translated as “saffron hooliganism.”
- Related incident
- Clashes at Jadavpur University on August 20 between Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad members and Left-affiliated student groups.
- Main protest date
- September 1.
- Earlier police action
- Police registered a first information report against newspaper staffers on August 28.
- Protest demand
- The protesters asked Anandabazar Patrika to apologize.
- Reported newsroom impact
- A journalist said staff felt insecure, concerned, and anxious about colleagues’ safety.
Quotes
An anonymous Anandabazar Patrika journalist
A journalist who has worked at Anandabazar Patrika for decades
“The people who entered the campus of Jadavpur University and did hooliganism – they demeaned saffron, not us.”
scroll.in
“One can write a letter to the editor, and generally those letters are also published with due respect.”
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Sources
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