NEW DELHI: During Ramadan, a special iftar initiative in India’s West Bengal brings together different groups from the state’s diverse society to build mutual trust and strengthen neighborly bonds.

Islam has been present in Bengal since the 13th century. Muslims, who make up nearly a third of the state’s  population of 100 million people, have for centuries made significant contributions to Bengali socio-linguistic identity and culture.a

But for the past decade their heritage in the state has been undermined, accompanied by tensions and riots ignited by the rise of majoritarian Hindu right-wing narratives across India.

To address the situation, a group of Bengali Muslims and Hindus started the Know Your Neighbor initiative in 2017. During the fasting month, among the events they organize is “Dosti ki Iftar,” or “Iftar of Friendship,” which brings together representatives of the region’s various religious and social groups.

This year, for the first time, one such iftar was held specifically for women, with the aim of creating a safe and open space to exchange views, address stereotypes and foster female-led unity.

“Women from many sections of the society are more marginalized than others ... Among us are Hindus, Muslims, Christians as well,” Tody Mazumdar, sociology student and Know Your Neighbor member, told Arab News.

“We want to oppose the current narrative, or the current propaganda, that is being spread so rapidly about Bengal having only one identity. We want to give a clear message that we are a diverse cultural and religious group known as Bengalis, and we all stay together, and we all eat together.”

The event, hosting a few dozen women from different religious and caste groups, was co-organized by students at Deeniyat Muallima College in Santragachi in the metropolitan area of Kolkata.

Among them was Shruti Ghosh, a dancer and theatre artist, for whom being a part of the iftar was a way of building resilience against divisive politics and policies.

“Iftar, of course, is a part of Ramadan ... but it’s also about sharing food. And food is very important in terms of cultural preservation, in terms of expressing your identity, asserting your identity. Moreover, food is something we enjoy. We sit with food, talk, exchange ideas, and share memories. So much happens over food,” she said.

“That is very important for me ... to come together, particularly in these trying times, where we have so much violence and intolerance being unleashed, and hatred being generated in society.”

This week, another iftar will be hosted in a historical setting at the Basri Shah Masjid, the oldest mosque of Kolkata, and next week another will gather grassroots activists working in different sectors of civil society.

Sabir Ahamed, the founder of Know Your Neighbor, hopes it will help make the social groups they represent engage more and better.

“We are bringing the experience of iftar to them to bridge the gap between different communities,” he said. “We are planning more iftars at different locations to promote harmony and coexistence.”

They are also sending a message.

“It’s like a neighbor-to-neighbor call, and we can stay together and talk with each other freely, without any judgment or without any social boundaries. Ramadan means sharing and caring, so we spread our love towards everyone. We can sit together as Indians, as humans,” Siddiqa Tabassum, director of Deeniyat Muallima College, told Arab News.

“It’s a little step, but small steps can do miracles.”