Re-emergence of Partition-time Political Dynamics in West Bengal

West Bengal Polity is observing Partition-time political dynamics again. Apart from ruling Trinamool Congress, there are Congress, LEFTs, the Muslims (in the name of Indian Secular Front), and there is BJP. Apart from geographical variance, difference between 1947's & present realm lies primarily in the nomenclature of the Islamic Party. In 1906, Islamists of Undivided India coalesced together in the name of Muslim League & demanded a part of the land exclusively for Muslims. In 2020, after 114 years of formation of Muslim League, Muslims of West Bengal have again notified about their separate political existence in the name of Indian Secular Front. For obvious reasons, they abstained from calling themselves Muslim League this time. Apart from difference in nomenclature, every other parameter appears same. While English word SECULAR means non-religious or profane, the term is being used to mean ‘Islamic’ in India. Muslim Pirjadas (Clerics) of West Bengal, who mere profess & propagate Religion, have launched their political existence in the name of Indian Secular Front while Clerics have nothing Secular in them. While Congress & Communists stood in support of Muslim League’s demand of Pakistan in 1947, they are still standing with today’s Muslim League aka Indian Secular Front.

LEFT-Congress alliance has declared tie-up with Abbas Siddiqui’s ISF displaying nothing much has changed except Congress in 1947 was a single entity while in today’s West Bengal, Congress got divided into two different Political Parties. 1. Trinamool Congress 2. Indian National Congress both standing stout beside the present Islamic Lobby of West Bengal. While Communists were vociferous in support of Muslim League & their demand for Pakistan in 1947, they're still supporting ‘today’s Muslim League' i.e. Indian Secular Front. Communists wanted India’s BALKANIZATION in 1947. They still want it & sloganeer “Bharat tere tukde honge”. Nothing much has changed since crores of Hindu Bengalis lost their land, properties, lives & dignity of women to Islamists in East Pakistan aka Bangladesh. Trinamool Congress, Indian National Congress & Communists still stand in solidarity with Muslims. As a result, West Bengal again views numerical muscle-flexing of Islamists to dominate Election Arithmetic. Another Islamic Aggression upon Hindu Bengalis on the horizon? In 1947, they're uprooted from East Pakistan aka Bangladesh. Now it’s turn to lose West Bengal to Islamists? TMC, INC & CPM seem to endorse. But would Non-Muslim voters of West Bengal too endorse Islamic dominance? Doesn’t seem so. Bengal is breathing fury, I sense.

BJP Critics are frowning— “would BJP too endorse Islamists' political aspiration in the State of West Bengal once they come to power”? In my opinion, we lack data to comment on that as BJP was never strongly present in the State’s polity & West Bengal, as yet, has no idea of BJP’s style of political operations.

While TMC is known for their Muslim-appeasement, Congress & CPM too couldn’t move without ‘Muslim crutches'. This is because a sizeable share of their votes came from Muslims which might shift this year to ISF. Hence, they couldn’t afford to stand in conflict against ISF but including it into their own portfolio became existential compulsion for both Congress & CPM. This implies—not only TMC, Congress & CPM too were winning predominantly Muslim-dominated constituencies which they might not be able to crack this year because of Abbas Siddiqui.

While TMC Supremo Mamata Banerjee claimed Muslim community to be her ‘Milch Cattles’ & had gone out of her way to provide unjustified amount of Governmental grants in Minority Welfare Projects all through her reign, Congress-LEFT Alliance too couldn’t stay away from declaring their official support for Muslim Clerics before Election. This categorically points out Muslim-vote dependence of the so called ‘secular’ parties of West Bengal such as TMC, Congress & CPM. Lion’s share of their votes comprise Muslim votes.

Would West Bengal be able to abort another attack on the Hindu Homeland as it came in 1947 by decisively voting out harmful elements? Another humble question that is expected to raise heated arguments— after partitioning Undivided Bengal, should Muslims still have voting right in West Bengal?

Debjani Bhattacharyya