Yesterday was Lakshmi Puja. Exactly 80 years ago, a bloodbath unfolded across the Noakhali district, with Hindus being subjected to horrific violence. Nearly 50,000 Hindu women were reportedly raped or abducted and forcibly converted to Islam. Calcutta had a Hindu majority, which enabled Hindus to organise resistance under the leadership of Gopal Mukherjee. Noakhali, on the other hand, was the largest Muslim-majority district in undivided Bengal at the time, with Muslims accounting for 81% of its population. Hindus were subjected to mass rape and killings, forcing many to flee their homes and abandon their property. I would also like to express my gratitude to Mahatma Gandhi. Without caring for his own safety, he spent nearly four months in Noakhali. The British government even offered him extensive security, while the Congress high command was deeply concerned about his decision to visit the region. Nevertheless, Gandhi walked barefoot through remote villages, trying to restore peace and communal harmony. His presence also drew significant international media attention to the events in Noakhali. Despite attempts by sections of the Left to make people forget this tragedy, the events have remained in public memory, in part because of the attention they received at the time.