[69105] Religious and Social Tensions in West Bengal: Compulsory 'Vande Mataram' Singing and the Issue of Slaughter

Growing Religious Tension in West Bengal

The state of West Bengal in India is at the center of reports regarding changes in government policy and surprising shifts in socio-religious norms, as emerges from data published on May 21, 2026.

According to a report by AdityaRajKaul (a Twitter account reporting on internal affairs in India), the government of West Bengal has issued an official order requiring all madrasas in the state to play the national anthem "Vande Mataram." According to AdityaRajKaul, this decision expands the existing policy that already applied to all public schools in the state, where singing the anthem during morning prayers became mandatory.

Simultaneously, CovidEraCaveman (a Twitter account with a tendency to document controversial social issues) reports on an unusual phenomenon regarding Eid al-Adha. According to their report, a religious role reversal is taking place: Hindu cattle traders are the ones demanding to perform cow slaughter during the holiday, while Muslim entities are campaigning against this slaughter.

The combination of rigid government measures and the shift in positions on the ground regarding holiday customs reflects a tense environment in West Bengal, where issues of religious and national identity are at the center of public discourse.