Kolkata, 16 August (H.S.): West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Sunday recalled the ‘Great Calcutta Killings’, also known as ‘Direct Action Day’, observed on August 16, 1946, and urged people to remember the victims of the communal violence that engulfed then Calcutta.

In a social media post, Adhikari described August 16, 1946, as a “dark and tragic chapter” in history, saying that the city was plunged into violence and bloodshed during the four-day riots in which thousands of people were killed.

“I bow my head in solemn remembrance of all those who perished during those calamitous days. Their suffering and the magnitude of loss must never be forgotten,” the Chief Minister said in his post.

Adhikari also appealed to people to learn from the past and ensure that such violence is never repeated. Referring to what he described as “appeasement politics”, he said society must prevent any recurrence of such a “horrific breakdown of humanity”.

The Chief Minister had also referred to the Great Calcutta Killings during an event at the Moulali Youth Centre on August 14. He said that two major massacres of Hindus had taken place in the context of the partition of India—one in Bangladesh in 1971 and the other during the Great Calcutta Killings in 1946.

Adhikari also recalled Gopal Mukherjee, popularly known as ‘Gopal Pantha’, who, according to him, played a role in protecting Hindu Bengalis during the violence. He said that had Mukherjee not been present at the time, the situation could have been even more devastating.

The Great Calcutta Killings began on August 16, 1946, following the Muslim League’s call for ‘Direct Action Day’. The violence continued for several days, leaving thousands dead and causing widespread destruction in Calcutta.

The Chief Minister said remembering the victims and learning from the tragedy was essential to ensuring that such communal violence does not recur.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey