India’s BJP-ruled state eyes Israel as book fair theme country
Organizers of one of India’s largest book fairs are considering Israel for its 2027 edition, which will also center celebrations around Hindu nationalist song Vande Mataram
NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) — Israel is being considered as the theme country for one of India’s largest book fairs under the patronage of West Bengal’s BJP government, as organizers also prepare to place a controversial Hindu nationalist song at the center of the event’s 50th edition.
The International Kolkata Book Fair, a major cultural event in the eastern Indian state, will run from Jan. 22 to Feb. 3, 2027. Organizers said Israel is under consideration for the prominent theme-country designation, although the proposal is awaiting final government approval.
The choice could prove politically contentious in West Bengal, a state with a substantial Muslim population and a long history of left-wing politics and pro-Palestinian activism, particularly amid continuing international outrage over Israel’s war in Gaza.
The state government last month established a 24-member committee to oversee the book fair, with representatives from the Publishers and Booksellers Guild and Hindu religious organizations including the Ramakrishna Mission and Bharat Sevashram Sangha.
The fair will be jointly organized by the Publishers and Booksellers Guild, the government-run Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre and the National Book Trust.
The prospective focus on Israel comes alongside a distinctly Hindu nationalist theme for the 2027 fair. Organizers said the 150th anniversary of Hindu nationalist song Vande Mataram will be a centerpiece of the event.
The song has been a source of religious controversy for more than a century in Indian politics.
Written by Bengali author Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay in the 19th century, Vande Mataram portrays the Indian motherland through Hindu religious imagery, including representations associated with Hindu goddesses.
Many Muslims have historically objected to passages of the song because they regard worship or veneration expressed toward figures other than God as incompatible with Islamic monotheism.
The controversy has resurfaced under the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, which has increasingly promoted Vande Mataram as a symbol of patriotism.
Observers have accused BJP governments of attempting to turn the song into a test of national loyalty despite longstanding Muslim objections to its religious content, placing it within a broader debate over the increasing Hinduization of India’s public and cultural institutions.
The Kolkata fair’s international participation is also likely to draw scrutiny because Bangladesh, which shares deep linguistic and cultural ties with West Bengal, has been absent for the past two editions.
No Bangladeshi bookstore has participated during that period, and organizers said its return in 2027 currently appears unlikely after the organizing committee and publishers raised objections to its participation.
The possibility of Israel receiving the fair’s most prominent international designation while neighboring Bangladesh remains absent has already prompted criticism online, with opponents portraying the choices as reflecting the political and ideological priorities of West Bengal’s new Hindu nationalist government.
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