Raniganj: Shambo Sen said he was taken aback by the question: " Tu kya Musalman hai (Are you a Muslim)?"
On Monday afternoon, Shambo recounted, he was trying to prevent eight to 10 young men - saffron cloth partly concealing their faces and saffron flags in their hands - from looting Md Salim & Brothers Haque Store at Burra Bazar in Raniganj, West Burdwan. Clashes had broken out after a Ram Navami procession passed through the area.
"We have been living here and carrying out our business peacefully for years without any major trouble. Why should I allow a Muslim brother's shop to be burnt down in front of my eyes?" asked Shambo, a trader who, along with his friends, tried to save as many shops as possible.
Who were the men with their faces covered? "I do a lot of social work and I know people in the neighbourhood.... I couldn't recognise any of those who ran amok that afternoon," said Shambo.
Sources in the administration said they were aware of discussions among the business community about the role "outsiders" may have played.
"This Raniganj seems to have changed since Monday's clashes," said Samsad Siddiqui, whose bangle shop was gutted on Monday. Ashok Raut, standing alongside, nodded in agreement.
The Raniganj Siddiqui was referring to was recalled by Dinesh Pareek, a flower merchant: "We knew the Muslims would wait for us with sherbat and water as we wait for them during Muharram."
The minorities account for around 20 per cent of the population in Raniganj, the birthplace of organised colliery in India in the early 1800s and now a trading hub.
In the 2016 Assembly elections, the beleaguered Left had wrested Raniganj courtesy a backlash against the Trinamul candidate and an upsurge in the BJP's votes.
"Ram Navami celebrations on this scale started barely four years ago.... For over 60 years, the Hindus here have been bringing out large processions, called Mahaveer Jhanda, on the day of Lakshmi Puja," Pareek said.
"The processions came out in the evening and passed through Muslim-dominated areas. But there has not been any instance of communal strife," Pareek added, wondering aloud what could have changed to ignite violence over the Ram Navami celebrations.
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