As party rivals cross swords, Bengal political narrative sees a change

KOLKATA: A peek into a Bajrang Dal training workshop held recently in Hooghly shows the bid by Right-wing forces to change the political lingo in West Bengal, where livelihood issues have always been the major plank of politicians.
Participants in the workshop joined a chorus that calls for the rise of Hindus who can drive away "mullah and kajis" and can also bring about a change in government. " Jagoto ekbar Hindu jagoto... maar bhagaye sab mulla kaji... palat gaye sarkar/ jagoto ekbar Hindu jagoto", goes the chorus.

Such messages, from majority and minority community leaders alike, are nothing new in West Bengal. The difference this time is that these messages are having public traction in parts of the state.

While the ruling Trinamool blames BJP for trying for "religious polarisation", the Bengal BJP accuses Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee of bringing in "language-based polarisation" in Bengal taking the infiltrators on board. Political leaders will be slogging out for the coming two months on this issue ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The Left, with its limited strength, has also planned a series of ground-level programmes against the BJP offensive starting December 6 (the day Babri Masjid was pulled down).

As part of the Hindu 'jagran' drive, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) is organising dharma sammelans in each of Bengal's 42 Lok Sabha constituencies for the entire November-December phase till BJP takes out ratha yatras from December 3. "Construction of Ram Mandir, identifying the infiltrators including Rohingyas, are among the sammelan agenda. Our purpose is to sensitise like-minded people. We will be undertaking similar programmes during Gita Jayanti on November 18," said VHP's state media spokesperson Sourish Mukherjee.

Riding on the month-long campaign by VHP and Bajrang Dal, BJP will go for a massive campaign during the ratha yatra in December for the Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2016 with an eye particularly on Hindu migrants from Bangladesh who came to India without papers after the 1971 cut-off date.

BJP's refugee cell leader Mohit Ray claimed his party was getting positive response among the Matuas, who had gone with the ruling Trinamool till the other day. "The Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2016 seeks to give natural citizenship to non-Muslims compelled to come to India from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan. The Matuas have been demanding the same. We are holding meetings among Matuas. (Matua leader) Santanu Thakur is closely working with us," Ray said.

The party, however, isn't going to get a free hand in the state. Chief minister Banerjee has already decided to set up a Matua Welfare Board and will be visiting Matuadom at Thakurbari in North 24 Parganas on November 15. Banerjee will announce her party's strategy for the Lok Sabha polls the next day at an organisation meet scheduled at Netaji Indoor Stadium.

In the meantime, Trinamool seniors are fanning out to districts to prepare for the party rally at Brigade Parade Grounds in early January with an aim to turn it into an anti-BJP conclave, said Trinamool secretary general Partha Chatterjee.

CPM and the Left, opposed to both BJP and Trinamool, are trying to bring Bengal's political narrative back to the livelihood agenda. "We are reaching out to our support bases in the districts and trying to maximise the mobilisation against BJP. The party has failed on all fronts. We will go for a showdown for two days on January 8-9 in support of the two-day nationwide strike called by trade unions. This time our slogan is 'Seize Bengal' for two days," said CPM state secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra. The Left, he added, would also organise a Brigade Rally ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.