Raniganj (Bengal): In a meticulously planned operation carried out in the dead of night, unidentified miscreants cordoned off an area, switched off the streetlights, and smeared mud over CCTV cameras to disable surveillance before removing a full-length stone statue of Rahul Sankrityayan.The incident took place in Bengal’s Raniganj, on July 12.Sankrityayan was a renowned freedom fighter, Marxist ideologue, and pioneering advocate of the scientific interpretation of history. This statue, located at the Raniganj crossroads, near the National Highway 19 flyover was reportedly lifted away with the help of a crane. The concrete pedestal on which it stood was completely demolished. The site is now in ruins.This incident triggered widespread outrage and serious questions about the apparent planning, execution, and security lapses surrounding the act of vandalism. Members of the region’s progressive, literary, and cultural circles came out in protest, demanding that those responsible for the vandalism and removal of the statue be identified and brought to justice.The area where the Rahul Sankrityayan statue stood. Photo: Madhu Sudan Chatterjee.A statue as a political targetAcross Bengal, a disturbing pattern of attacks on public icons has emerged in the wake of the state’s political transition. In Jiaganj, Murshidabad, the statue of Vladimir Lenin – an enduring symbol of the global communist movement – was vandalised. In May, the month in which BJP came to power, statues of Sidhu-Kanhu – the legendary leaders of the Santhal Rebellion – were vandalised in Dakshin Dinajpur. At Vidyasagar University in Medinipur, portraits of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar and Rabindranath Tagore were trampled upon and destroyed. In Asansol ward number 105, attempts were made to vandalise the statues of two former Congress prime ministers of India, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi.In each of these incidents, allegations were raised that workers of ruling BJP in the state were involved. Every episode triggered widespread public outrage and protests. So far police investigations have not made much headway, with no arrests made in any of the cases. In some cases, the BJP or the RSS youth wing, ABVP, have said their workers are not associated with these protests, although local accounts differ.Sankrityayan’s statue in Raniganj is believed to be one of the country’s largest stone statues.Its stealing therefore suggests a carefully planned operation. The shattered remains of the pedestal still lie scattered at the site, serving as stark evidence of the extent of the vandalism. As noted before, locals allege that such a removal could only have happened with the help of a crane. Its pedestal too was demolished, likely with a bulldozer.The area where the Rahul Sankrityayan statue stood. Photo: Madhu Sudan Chatterjee.A tea stall owner whose shop faces the site said, “We usually close our shop around 10 pm, but traffic continues throughout the night on this busy road. When I opened the store on Monday morning, the statue had vanished. What harm has this statue ever done to anyone? It had stood here peacefully for decades.”Just a short distance away stands another statue, that of Bhagat Singh. The location itself raises disturbing questions. The site is barely two kilometres from Raniganj Police Station and only about 500 metres from the Amarsota Police Outpost. Police patrol vehicles regularly pass through the area throughout the night, while civic volunteers are also deployed nearby.Speaking to The Wire on the evening of July 16, Subir Karmakar, inspector-in-charge of Raniganj Police Station, said, “The miscreants have not yet been identified, and the stolen statue has not been recovered, the investigation is continuing.”Meanwhile, Communist Party of India (Marxist) workers said that on July 14 a group of Bharatiya Janata Party supporters went to the local CPI(M) office and issued threats against the protests that the party was organising. Supporters of BJP which forms the new government in the state allegedly warned CPI(M) workers against linking the party or its ideological parent, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, to the incident. The BJP also allegedly threatened them with consequences if such connections were made, said Sanjoy Pramanik, an active worker of the CPI(M).Sankrityayan’s son Jeta expressed profound anguish at the incident.“I am deeply shocked and heartbroken. The taking down and theft of Mahapandit Rahul Sankrityayan’s statue in Raniganj is utterly condemnable. But history has repeatedly taught us that by destroying the statue of a great thinker, no one can erase his ideas, ideals or legacy,” he told reporters.“After the political change in West Bengal, we witnessed attacks on Lenin’s statues at several places. Those who feel threatened by the ideas of visionary figures who guide society are the ones who resort to such acts,” he added.The area near the Rahul Sankrityayan statue location in Raniganj. Photo: Madhu Sudan Chatterjee.Why Sankrityayan remains relevantRahul Sankrityayan was born on April 9, 1893 in Kanoila village of Azamgarh district, Uttar Pradesh. Although he had limited access to formal education in his early days, he emerged one of India’s greatest scholars and public intellectuals.During India’s freedom struggle, Sankrityayan was imprisoned for nearly three years for political activities under British rule. He played a leading role in strengthening the All India Kisan Sabha during its formative years. He was a distinguished Buddhist scholar, historian, linguist, traveller and philosopher.Sankrityayan also experienced the hardships of a life in labour firsthand. His work in sugar mills, where he witnessed the exploitation of industrial workers, profoundly shaped his understanding of society and inspired his approach towards a scientific interpretation of history and social change. Among his most celebrated works are Volga Theke Ganga (From Volga to Ganges), Bhago Nahin Duniya ko Badlo (Do not run away, change the world), and numerous other influential writings. His books continue to be regarded across India as foundational texts for workers, progressive thinkers and those committed to scientific temper and social transformation.The significance of the statue in RaniganjRaniganj is one of India’s oldest and largest coal-mining regions. The coal belt is across a vast industrial corridor stretching across Asansol, Burnpur, and Durgapur, where numerous large and medium-scale industries once flourished. For decades, thousands of workers were employed in the coal mines and factories, making the region a stronghold of organised and influential trade union movements.The inauguration of the Rahul Sankrityayan Marg in Raniganj. Present his wife Kamala Sankrityayan, along with other distinguished guests. Photo: Madhu Sudan Chatterjee.“Rahul Sankrityayan who dedicated his entire life to the cause of working people. That is why we wanted to spread his ideals in this coal-mining belt,” recalled Anup Kumar Mitra, former chairman of the Raniganj Municipality to The Wire. According to Mitra, the decision to install Sankrityayan’s statue was taken as part of the celebrations marking his birth centenary in 1993. A centenary celebration committee was formed to oversee the initiative. In early 1993, an exhibition highlighting Sankrityayan’s life, writings, and contributions was organised in Raniganj. Tushar Takukdar, then Police Commissioner of Kolkata Police and chairman of the state-level Rahul Sankrityayan birth centenary committee inaugurated the exhibition. Renowned trade union leader, the late Haradhan Ray was also present.The statue was formally unveiled on April 9, 1993 by Binoy Krishna Choudhury, then West Bengal minister for land and land reforms and veteran freedom fighter. It was sculpted by Purulia-based sculptor Dhrubo Das.The unveiling ceremony was attended by members of Rahul Sankrityayan’s family, including his wife Kamala, his son Jeta and his daughter Jaya, making the occasion a significant tribute to the celebrated scholar’s life and legacy.Following the installation of the statue, the Raniganj Municipality officially named the road Rahul Sankrityayan Marg in his honour. Since then, April 9, his birth anniversary, has been commemorated there every year with public programmes and commemorative events. This year, too, the annual observance was held at the site before the statue mysteriously disappeared, said Anup Kumar Mitra.