RIFLE RANGE BOY: No Controlling a Mob!

Bengal Files (2025)
Written & Directed: Vivek Agnohotri

This is a continuation of a series of movies released by Vivek Agnohorti, and like with the titles ending with 'files' - , and next . This genre of film generally presents another point of view on Indian history, often different from the narratives of what they label 'leftist historians'. This leftist version is taught in history lessons and schools worldwide.

We know the primarily affected the northwestern and northeastern regions of the subcontinent. We have also been frequently informed about the toll and intergenerational trauma it inflicted on the people of . The devastation it caused to Bengal is often overlooked at best.

The attempt to divide Bengal was made in 1905 by , the then . Bengal was to be split into the and the , citing administrative convenience as the reason. The real motive, however, was to weaken those opposing colonial rule. The backlash was so intense that the British abandoned the plan six years later. It is said to have sparked the , which called for a boycott of British goods.

Many things happened after that. The saw the entire leadership behind bars. This gave the all the opportunity to press the British to demand a separate country carved out of India for Muslims. By the time the war ended, was in a dire state and unable to maintain its colonies. India was ready for independence, even at the expense of losing part of its land. There was a rush to claim as much territory as possible for the new country, which was called for India's Muslims.

A year before India's independence, there was a significant clash between the Congress and the Muslim League over how the country's division should unfold. Who started the conflict depends on which side one asks. The Hindus of Bengal were adamant that Pakistan was attempting to take over the entire Bengal and had plans to swallow up the whole of Punjab, as well as inciting many to join their side. They accused the Chief Minister of Bengal, Suhrawardy, whom they nicknamed 'The Butcher of Bengal', of instigating riots. He was allegedly announcing over the mosque to the Muslims to go forth and kill non-believers. To the Muslims, the Hindu resistance leader, Gopal Patha, was the butcher, a city-based meat-selling from . Neither party admits to starting the fire; they were merely reacting to hostility.

Calcutta - Direct Action Day
16th August 1946.

The movie reenacts a scenario quite similar to what happened during the Direct Action Day, on 16th August 1947, when there was allegedly a concerted effort by the Muslims to go on a killing spree and make the whole of Bengal part of Pakistan. In this story, a local elected member of the , a seemingly liberal chap, is using the power vested in him for his self-serving needs. He influenced the local mosque goers and the well-endowed section of society to start communal violence.

Watching the movie, my novice, untrained mind detected two boo-boos. It was 1946-47, and was in conversation with . Gandhi was coaxing Jinnah against the idea of Pakistan... "after all, the Hindus and the Muslims are of the same DNA?" Gandhi said. Really? People talking about DNA in 1947? For the record, only proposed the idea of DNA in 1953 and received the Nobel Prize in 1962.

Another anachronistic moment was when the main character was finally apprehended by the mob. He is punished by having his upper limbs dismembered. His limbs are pulled apart by two motorcycles. At a glance, the vehicles look like they were Japanese-made, like those sold in the 1980s. For the record, India received its first shipment of , imported from the UK for British officers' use. Motorcycles were bulky in that era. India's first locally produced motorcycle was the in 1955.

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/direct-action-day-and-the-story-of-a-bengal-butcher-gopal-patha-who-saved-calcutta-9114693