Devotees take part in a procession on the occasion of Ram Navami in Kolkata, Thursday, March 30, 2023. Photo Credit: PTI
Celebrating festivals comes easily to the people of West Bengal and the state is often referred to as the “Land of”. Baro Mashe Tero Parabon (13 festivals in 12 months)”. However, over the years, as religion and festivals have become embroiled in politics, the consequences have left a trail of mistrust and violence,
The anticipation of these festivals puts the administration on alert and political leadership across the spectrum start making statements warning people about the possibility of communal flare-ups. Even as she was on a 30-hour dharna accusing the Center of depriving the state of funds, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee warned people about the possibility of ‘corruption’. riot’ (riots) during Ram Navami this year. These warnings did little to stop the violence at Shibpur in Howrah and Rishra in Hooghly. While the administration was gearing up to contain these incidents, the Calcutta High Court directed the state to deploy central forces during Hanuman Jayanti on 6 April and political leaders to refrain from making any statement related to the festival. urged to do
Ram Navami and Hanuman Jayanti processions are a new phenomenon, not only in the political arena, but also in the religious setting of West Bengal. The increase in such processions has coincided with the rise of the BJP as the main opposition party since 2016. The frantic display of religiosity in these processions where thousands, especially the youth, participate amidst deafening music is often a recipe for disaster, especially when such a procession passes through areas inhabited by citizens of a different community.
Such processions have led to communal incidents in the past, especially in Barrackpore, Howrah and Hooghly. These are densely populated working class neighborhoods consisting of people from different communities who migrated to the state to work in the mills and industrial units on both sides of the Hooghly River.
The number of such processions has increased with each passing year and now such processions are organized all over the state. These processions and the resulting communal divide helped the BJP and Hindutva groups polarize and reap political dividends in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, when the saffron party won 18 of the 42 Lok Sabha seats.
Trinamool’s trick
Unlike the Left parties, the Trinamool Congress has never shied away from flirting with religion and its leadership never misses an opportunity to connect with the masses using festivals as a tool. The Trinamool leadership also got an opportunity and its leaders also started taking out Ram Navami processions.
It is also strange that the Trinamool leadership claims that Ram Navami processions are not part of the state’s culture, yet no effort is made by the police to stop these processions. In fact, some police commissionerates shared Ram Navami greetings from their social media handles. Trinamool leaders and supporters are seen in these processions at many places across the state.
There is a pattern to these incidents of communal flare-up and the politics that follow. Remarks by leaders of political parties create tension every year around the Ram Navami procession. As these processions pass through Muslim neighborhoods, minor scuffles or stone pelting are seen which soon turn into violence where vehicles and public property are attacked and set on fire. In the past too, lives have been lost in these riots. Prohibitory orders are enforced and BJP leaders, in an attempt to attract media attention, try to force their way into these areas. The Trinamool blamed the BJP for the violence and alleged that outsiders were responsible for the violence. The Center seeks the report and a petition is filed before the High Court seeking investigation by central agencies. The cycle is repeated wherever such disturbances occur over the years.
many scams
In the current political situation when Lok Sabha elections are likely to be held in a year, a section of the leadership of both BJP and Trinamool feel that they will benefit from religious polarisation. The Hindutva pitch of the BJP peaked in 2019 and the party needs to generate the same religious fervor to match its past performance in the upcoming general elections. Fearing losing the support of Muslims, which has become more evident after the defeat in the Sagardighi bypoll, the state’s ruling party wants to send a message that only it can protect the interests of the minorities. The Trinamool leadership is also feeling the heat of several scams, including the job scam in state-run schools, so any change is a welcome move. All these factors could have worsened the situation in Howrah on 30 March and Hooghly on 4 April.
Despite the communal disturbances, West Bengal has been home to people of various communities for centuries. The neighborhoods on both sides of the river, which have seen communal clashes over Ram Navami processions over the years, also have a long history of peaceful coexistence. In the next few days, riots will cease to make headlines and political discourse will move away from communal divides, but mistrust between communities that have lived side by side for generations will linger for years and mar the outcome of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.