West Bengal Martyr’s Day 2026: What is it?
West Bengal observes Martyr's Day on July 21 to commemorate 13 Youth Congress workers killed during a 1993 police protest. The event remains a significant political flashpoint, with current Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari accusing the TMC government of suppressing inquiry findings.
Why it matters
The incident highlights the enduring and often contentious nature of political history and accountability in West Bengal's governance.
July 21 is Martyr’s Day in West Bengal . Rallies in Central Kolkata are underway, and leaders from Mamata Banerjee to CM Suvendu Adhikari have all commented on the occasion this year.
Martyr’s day is observed in West Bengal to mark the 13 Youth Congress workers killed in a police protest in 1993. It is an annual event held by the Trinamool Congress and the Indian National Congress in West Bengal’s capital Kolkata.
In 1993, former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, then a Congress leader, called for a protest to insist making photo ID cards in elections mandatory.
The protest and the violence that followed outside the Writer’s Building area in the city led to the deaths of 13 people in police firing.
Thousands of workers had gathered for the protest covering areas of Bowbazar to Braboune Road and Mayo Road to Strand Road.
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