Peace in Bengal

 

UNION Home Minister Mr. Amit Shah has given the call for change in West Bengal in 2026 elections to State Legislative Assembly. While giving the call for dethroning Trinamool Congress (TMC), he has stated that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would come to power in 2026. But, beyond political considerations, Mr. Shah has referred to the link between cross-border infiltration and peace in the State. This link between cross-border infiltration and peace has seeds in the partition of Bengal during the British Raj. Not many realise that the said partition actually triggered demographic changes in the form of consolidation of communities. The West Bengal of today, and Bangladesh (which was previously East Bengal and later East Pakistan) have had a long history of communal violence. This history of communal clashes was exploited from time to time by the political classes to nurture their vote-bank. During this long history, those opposing the British imperialism leaned towards Communism.

 

The extremist elements in Leftist fold treated Communist China as their guide, and this afflicted India with the menace of what is known as Maoism today. Sadly, all through, the Indian State of West Bengal remained in the spiral of violence, whether communal or political. The ethnic cleansing effort of Pakistan upon the erstwhile East Pakistan, added another dimension to the story. India was forced to take a stand in the face of a humanitarian crisis, leading to birth of Bangladesh. In the later years, the fundamentalist element in Bangladesh still owed allegiance to radicals in Pakistan. The waves of cross-border infiltration from Bangladesh into India since 1971 created strain on resources and social fabric of not only West Bengal but also Assam. Gradually, this led to emergence of new flash-points. TMC under Ms. Mamata Banerjee ousted the Communists from power, but the unfortunate political violence continued unabated. Mr. Amit Shah’s statement must be viewed in this context. A lot of Bengalis of today have gotten over the history during the British Raj. But, they are disturbed with the identity of West Bengal as a kind of semi-feudal and under-developed State marred by violence.

 

The pockets of modern infrastructure are like islands. An ordinary Bengali still lives under the fear of attracting attention of the dominating political power, if he or she chooses to speak up against the pathetic healthcare infrastructure or very low income of the people in rural areas. An ordinary Bengali is fed up of politicisation of every aspect of life. An ordinary Bengali is still interested in art, culture, literature, theatre, but is afraid if free expression disturbs the political powers that be. Against this backdrop of long-sustained pressure situation, the State of West Bengal wants to breathe free. Hence, the willingness to break free from communal or political violence, to ensure development, to create atmosphere conducive to the aspirations of younger generation within the State, has been building up for the past few years. The dominating political powers viewed even these simple expectations of the West Bengal population as losing the grip over the situation, and there was post-poll violence. But, over time, tears arising out of such violence have only nourished the seeds of change. More and more people now believe that peace could be restored in a State as culturally rich as West Bengal, only with the strong political alternatives committed to stopping cross-border infiltration and to ushering in development. The Union Home Minister appears to have given voice to this widespread feeling.