Bengal: Govt Imposes Ban On Holi Celebrations In Santiniketan's Sonajhuri Haat Citing Forest Damage; BJP Smells 'Appeasement'

Citing possible damage to the greeneries in the forest belt, the West Bengal government on Thursday imposed a ban on celebrations at the popular Sonajhuri Haat in Birbhum district's Santiniketan on Thursday, an official told PTI. This is the first time when the forest department has made such a decision.

The Sonajhuri Haat, which is located near Visva Bharati's Santiniketan campus, is a UNESCO heritage site and a destination for lakhs of people during the spring festival since the Visva Bharati University authority stopped public participation in 'Basanto Utsav' (spring festival) after 2019.

What Did The Officials Say?

Commenting on the development, Bolpur Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Rahul Kumar said several banners have been put up in the area, requesting people - a large number of whom could be foreigners and domestic tourists - neither to park vehicles nor celebrate the festival of colours there.

"Visitors were also requested not to videograph Holi festivities. The department will seek the support of police and administration to enforce the ban but will also leave it to people for the better sense to prevail", Kumar told PTI.

Further elaborating on the ban, the DFO said, "We are not issuing any diktat. People in large groups will be prevented from walking to the Sonajhuri Khowai belt on March 14 - the day of Dol Yatra."

"What we want to avert is the assembling of thousands of people during the festival of colours in an area where there is a green cover. The sprinkling of coloured water may cause irreparable damage to trees. Let us take the pledge to save Sonajhuri from any ecological damage on March 14," the DFO said.

BJP Smells 'Appeasement'

BJP leader and West Bengal's Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Suvendu Adhikari smalled the Mamamta Banerjee-led government and said this has not happened in just one area.

"Police conduct coordination programs at the time of programs of other communities. We saw this happening during CPI(M) and TMC regimes. But in 2025, for the first time, meetings were held at every police station for Holi. What was the issue in the meeting, this is a special month for the other community, and this time Holi is falls on a Friday. So, it was openly said that colours should not be used and Holi should be celebrated."

"There will be arrests if someone does something. Birbhum Additional SP said that by 10 am, the Holi celebrations in Santiniketan should be wrapped up because it is Friday...This is happening in Bengal for the first time...Mamata Banerjee's Police administration is doing politics of divides, it is doing politics of appeasement..." he told ANI.