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Five months on, Bengal waits for government to govern, not oppose

Bengal’s intellectual restlessness, literary traditions, and appetite for debate are its strengths, not failings. The government should address the structural failures that constrain the state, not erode what gives it distinction.

The government should address the structural failures that constrain the state, not erode what gives it distinction.

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2 min read Oct 22, 2026 06:15 AM IST First published on: Oct 22, 2026 at 06:15 AM IST

If there is one thing that stands out in West Bengal’s annual Durga Puja , it is its largesse as a public commons — the sarbojonin — where there is room for the devout, the argumentative, and the sceptic. And so, year after year, alongside the beat of the dhak, the crowds at the pandals, the food stalls that dot the festive perimeters, a constant has been book stalls, many set up by Left parties.…