West Bengal sits at the epicenter of a threat that is simultaneously demographic, ideological, and violent — and most of India hasn’t yet understood its scale.
This WATO (World Anti-Terrorism Organization) seminar in Kolkata convenes military veterans, security analysts, and civil society voices to document the convergence of religious extremism, illegal migration, and organized terrorism in West Bengal. Speakers present the state as a case study in how demographic change, political accommodation of radical elements, and border porosity combine to create conditions for sustained low-intensity violence against Hindu communities.
The seminar’s tone is urgent rather than alarmist — grounded in security frameworks and firsthand experience. Two women speakers, including a retired Lt. Colonel from the Indian Army and WATO’s Secretary General, are specifically acknowledged as exemplars of how women are leading the counter-terrorism discourse. The closing remarks are pointed: in a democratic India, this conversation is possible. The question the panelists leave open is whether democratic India will act on it before it is too late.
About the Speakers:
- Souvik Roy – WATO
- Lt. Col. Shomi Vaibhav Singh Nirban (retd.) Vice President WATO
- Dr. Yogita Karache – World General Secretary WATO
- Shri Subir Bhaumik – Senior Journalist and Author
- Shri Anirban Banerjee – Eminent Lawyer and Political Analyst
- Dr. Mohit Roy – Social Worker and Renowned Author, ResearcherAdvocate
- Professor Shubhamoy Maitra – Professor at the Indian Statistical Institute
- Advocate Shri Debjit Sarkar – Eminent Lawyer of the Calcutta High Court and Political Analyst
