As Falta goes for repolling on May 21, this constituency in South 24 Parganas is once again fuelling political discussions - and not in a very savoury context. Falta today finds itself discussed in connection with political violence and allegations of anti-social activities - given it a reputation that will not easily clean up.
But Falta was a place of significance in the Colonial era, and a just two decades ago, became associated with economic dreams and export ambitions.
The contrast is striking.
Falta before Independence
Falta's story goes back to the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, during the Dutch colonial period. The Dutch referred to the area as "Voltha", while residents and the British later called it "Fulta" or "Falta".
Contrary to popular perception, there was no grand stone fortress there. The Dutch East India Company maintained a shipping station and factory in the region. Historical records sometimes referred to it as "Falta Fort", though it functioned more as a logistical and military support station than a conventional fort.
Falta's importance came from geography.
The Hooghly River is tidal in nature. Ships arriving from the Bay of Bengal often had to stop and wait near Falta until favourable tides allowed them to proceed upstream toward Calcutta or Chinsurah. The Dutch used Falta as a logistical centre, a military backup point against piracy, and a transit base where goods from Bengal's interior regions could be assembled before export.
At the time, European powers had their own centres across Bengal. The British developed Calcutta; the French built Chandannagar. The Dutch maintained Chinsurah and Falta, while the Danes established Serampore.
Located around fifty-five kilometres downstream from Calcutta, Falta became part of Bengal's wider colonial geography.
Today, almost nothing remains of those structures. Most of the colonial constructions were built using brick and mud, and over time, they simply disappeared.
The Refugee Crisis of 1756
Perhaps the most important event in Falta's pre-independence history came in 1756.
In June that year, Nawab Siraj-ud-Daulah captured Calcutta. The event associated with the "Black Hole of Calcutta" took place during this period. Dozens of British soldiers were shut in a tiny dungeon by the troops of Siraj, leading to many deaths by the next morning.
While modern historians find the numbers suspect, it did work as propaganda for the British. As panic spread, Governor Roger Drake, British civilians, Portuguese settlers, and Anglo-Indian residents fled Calcutta by river and sought refuge in Dutch-controlled Falta.
Conditions there soon became severe. Historical accounts suggest that the settlement was far too small to accommodate the sudden influx of refugees. Thousands arrived, but many had no shelter and spent nearly six months living on boats through the monsoon.
Disease spread rapidly. Food shortages emerged. Starvation and sickness claimed many lives. Surgeon Ives of HMS Kent described them as "crowded in wretched habitations, clad in the meanest apparel, and surrounded by sickness".
The Dutch decision to shelter British refugees angered Siraj-ud-Daulah. On returning to Murshidabad, he reportedly besieged Dutch Chinsurah. Historical records say the Dutch paid four lakh rupees as ransom, borrowing money from Jagat Seth.
On December 20, 1756, Robert Clive's relief fleet from Madras reached Falta. That moment changed Bengal's history. From Falta, British forces later launched the operation to recapture Calcutta in January 1757. A few months later came the Battle of Plassey.
In that sense, Falta became one of the launch points from where British rule in Bengal began to take shape.
Falta After 1757
After 1757, British dominance increased while Dutch influence gradually declined. Falta lost much of its strategic importance and remained a minor river port and ferry point surrounded by agricultural areas. No major political or military movements centred there.
Even during the freedom struggle, Falta never emerged as a major flashpoint in the way Midnapore or Chittagong did. Political movements remained concentrated in Calcutta, Diamond Harbour, and nearby industrial regions. The area largely retained its rural character.
The Falta Export Zone
The next major chapter began in 1984. The Government of India established the Falta Export Processing Zone across 280 acres, utilising the same river access that had once made Falta strategically valuable. Later, it became known as the Falta Special Economic Zone after the implementation of SEZ rules in 2006.
The vision behind the project was ambitious. The idea was to create an internationally competitive environment for export production, attract domestic and foreign investment, generate employment, and strengthen infrastructure.
Today, Falta SEZ oversees operations not only in West Bengal but also plays a role involving several eastern and northeastern states. Around forty operational units currently function there, with facilities including riverside jetties, warehouses, industrial sheds, customs buildings, and logistical infrastructure. Its evolution reflected a larger national policy shift. Kandla had become Asia's first Export Processing Zone in 1965.
Between 1980 and 1985, additional zones were developed in Noida, Madras, Cochin, and Falta. The expectation was that Falta would become a major industrial and export centre.
Rajiv Gandhi also had a vision for it. Given its location along the Hooghly River and the logistical advantages for shipping and trade, many believed Falta could become a major export hub. There were plans involving fisheries, shrimp exports, industries, and various development projects.
Many announcements were made along with which proposals came. But eventually, much of that vision remained incomplete. Several planned projects never fully materialised. Later ideas involving SEZ expansion also did not progress in the way many had expected.
Today's Falta
Today, Falta often appears in headlines for very different reasons. Following the 2026 West Bengal Assembly election, a by-election in Falta was scheduled for May 21. On polling day itself, reports of clashes emerged.
There were allegations of conflict involving Trinamool supporters and BJP workers. BJP leaders alleged that free and fair elections were not taking place and raised complaints before the Election Commission.
Subsequently, another by-election had to be organised. But what drew wider attention was the controversy involving Trinamool's Falta candidate Jahangir Khan, also known as Pushpa. He had often projected a strongman image and was seen by many as a powerful local figure in the Diamond Harbour area, which is also politically associated with Abhishek Banerjee. There were strong public assertions and displays of confidence. Yet, just before the election, he unexpectedly withdrew.
That development reportedly created discomfort within sections of the Trinamool Congress leadership and generated significant political discussion.
The real question, however, goes beyond one election or one candidate.
What happened to Falta?
How did a place once linked to Dutch settlements, refugee history, river trade, and export dreams gradually acquire a reputation associated with anti-social activities?
That question remains larger than immediate politics.
Now, after Shubhendu Adhikari became Chief Minister, another discussion has begun. Can Falta be revived? Can it move beyond the stigma that now surrounds it? Can Falta be part of Bengal's renewal?
If industrial projects revive, if infrastructure expands, if investment returns and political violence recedes, perhaps Falta may once again rediscover an identity beyond conflict. Because history suggests that Falta has repeatedly reinvented itself. The question now is whether it can do so one more time.
