West Bengal: RSS’s Final Frontier

The recent incidences of communal tension in the state of West Bengal has brought to the fore that Bengal has started losing one of its quintessential characteristic. A state which remained immune to communal tension even during the communally volatile and religiously polarized `90s, is now showing signs of brittleness. Recent reports of major clashes between the Hindus and the Muslims from Hazinagar and Halisahar in 24 Paraganas, Chandannagar in Hooghly, Kharagpur in West Medinipur and Chanchal subdivision of Malda have set the ball rolling which signal that Bengal can no longer take pride for its by and large longstanding record of communal harmony. Add to that there were many other reports of minor communal scuffles especially in rural Birbhum. The trigger was allegedly a low intensity bomb hurled at a Muharram procession at Hazinagar. Unfortunately, these incidents happened in the prime of the festive season, fueled by religious hatred during the simultaneous occurrence of two important religious events, Durga idol visarjan and tazia procession on Muharram. The Mamata Banerjee Government as usual, had out rightly denied the communal nature of these violent incidents.

This year, the RSS and the Sangh parivar made a news, viral that permission for staging Durga Puja has been denied by district administration in Kanglapahari village in Birbhum and called upon its cadres for protecting the rights of the Hindus against the minorities. Thereafter when the State Government verbally set the time limit for idol immersion, RSS accused the TMC Government for “appeasing the Muslims”, in favour of unhindered Muharram procession. The Calcutta High Court’s conspicuous order went against the State Government, where the court termed the Government’s order as “arbitrary” and observed it to be “a clear endeavour to appease the minority section of the public”. This verdict was unabatedly used by BJP to trickle Hindu religious vehemence. Tathagata Roy, former state president of the BJP and current Governor of Tripura, even tweeted about the court’s order. The Sangh Parivar and the BJP took the order as their victory to safeguard the rights of the Hindus. Following these developments people like Tapan Ghosh of Hindu Samhati and others took the baton of rumour- mongering and spreading hate against the Muslims. It is noteworthy that in Kharagpur, a full scale clash broke out during Ravana’s effigy burning on Dussehra and simultaneously held Muharram. Kharagpur just co-incidentally happens to be the place where BJP won its assembly seat in the last assembly elections.

After the Maldah riots of January this year, common Bengalis were astonished that how can such an incident ever happen in West Bengal. Some called it an aberration, but reality has beaten them again. More than three decades of the CPI(M) led Left Front Government rule saw more or less a communally tension free Bengal. Critics tend to draw attention to the ones like Marichjhapi incident (January 1979), Anand Margi Monks killings (April 1982) and Nanoor massacre (July 2000). But a strong case can be made that those were more of political killings than communal ones. The ruling State Government’s silence on the current series of riots is only going to intensify the communal elements for future transgression. We see a different social fabric of Bengal today. We can say that the emergence of Ultra Right, a mute TMC regime, and dwindling Left have made the state fragile to combat communalism.

West Bengal plays a very important role in the socio-political realm of India. A strong, communally free, vocally liberal and aesthetically secular Bengal is a necessity, now more than ever as the pseudo nationalistic and Hindutva driven forces are gaining power. The RSS and the Sangh know this minutely; they are working overtime in Bengal. Going by the trend with ample TMC succor, they may well win their final frontier and Bengal’s drowning into communalism will be RSS’s final nail in the coffin of India’s secular and democratic nature.