As bombs and missiles continue to strike Iran, multi-storey buildings are collapsing across several parts of the country, including the capital, Tehran. Innocent civilians are losing their lives.
Amid this suffering, a shadow of grief has fallen over Iranipara in Pandaveswar, West Burdwan (West Bengal), popularly known as ‘Little Iran’. The community here has decided to suspend this year’s Eid celebrations, even as Muslims across the world prepare to mark the festival.
“We are observing a 40-day mourning period and have suspended this year’s Eid celebrations,” said local resident Rustam Ali. The residents here are among several thousand Iranians whose ancestors fled political persecution over a century and a half ago and took refuge in India.
Bombs and missiles are repeatedly hitting Iran’s skyline. While buildings and schools are collapsing in different regions of Iran and ordinary citizens are losing their lives, the Iranian community in Pandaveswar remains glued to television screens, anxiously waiting for the war to end.
More than a hundred Iranian families have been living in Pandaveswar for decades. The area now has access to basic government facilities. This Ramadan, however, the mood is sombre. The community is observing a 40-day mourning period following the death of their supreme religious leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Black flags have been placed at street corners in the neighbourhood. The usual joy of Eid has faded, and anxiety is visible among people of all ages, from the elderly to the youth.
The state government has provided us with water, electricity, housing, and other facilities here. We have no problems living here. But we cannot accept the way our country is being attacked. Iran is facing these attacks because it refused to submit to the United States,” says Amjad Ali, a local resident.
Over the years, many Iranian families came to India – the world’s largest market – for trade, dealing in food and other goods. While some eventually returned, many chose to stay back, embracing Indian culture and building their lives here.
I have been living here since my birth. Ayatollah Khamenei was our supreme religious leader. He was unjustly killed. He became a martyr while trying to protect ordinary Iranians,” said elderly resident Gholam Hossein Ali.
“My grandfather, Syed Shiraz Alam Ali, settled here nearly a century ago, drawn by the prosperity of Bengal and the compassion of its people. We lived secluded in tents near train tracks and carried on with our trade,” added Ashiq Ali, regarded as a senior figure in the community.
Today, Iranian-origin families are spread across India, including in Agra, Delhi, and West Bengal’s Murshidabad. In Pandaveswar of the West Burdwan district, a population of nearly 350 Iranians currently works in businesses such as selling spectacles and gemstones.
Although they left Iran decades ago, their emotional attachment to their homeland remains strong. For this reason, they are closely following the ongoing war developments involving Iran, the United States, and Israel.
The death of Ayatollah Khamenei has deeply affected the community. Since the news broke, the locality has been in mourning, with residents strongly condemning the attacks on Iran.
Women in the area say the war has taken away any sense of joy. While many earn a living by selling handmade items door-to-door and appreciate the life they have built in West Bengal, they say their hearts remain heavy as they watch events unfold in their homeland.