Apart from political, the economic isolation of West Bengal has helped creating an unruly fundamentalist state there.
The abysmal plunge of West Bengal from the intellectual leader in India to a fundamentalist region was never predicted even by the smartest soothsayers. Even Mamata Banerjee, when she finally captured the state, perhaps did not have it in her schemes that West Bengal would turn this bad. She was encouraged by vocal secular Marxists, who wanted to keep Narendra Modi’s BJP out, and Muslims of the state. Mamata, when she was a lone opposition Lok Sabha member from West Bengal after 2004 had confided to me several times that Muslims could not be trusted. But when in power on the back of strong Muslim disenchantment with the Left Front government, she maintained the rapport with the community. This dependency rose with rise of Narendra Modi nationally. The inspired hatred of Muslims as well as “Liberal Bengali” voters was smartly used by Mamata to keep BJP out. In the process the historical hatred arising out of illogical superiority complex was paving way for a secular-communal political ideology. This separation from the national mainstream was widened due to the failure of the state on the economic front. On the whole, West Bengal turned a fertile ground of anti-national sentiment.
Some in the BJP let this foment with their short-sighted Hindi-centric politics. Now the imp is out of the bottle, which the Hindi heartland political thoughts had no clue to stop. Even today certain parts of Muslim majority districts find Hindus being driven out of their homes. Mamata’s politics of appeasement saw police force remain complicit. The Central government is the same government where the BJP complains against Bangladesh for atrocities on Hindu minorities, a government that needs to save its Hindu citizens from rampaging mobs complaining against another country, an accepted foreign policy stance.
The net result is that parts of West Bengal are turning into a soft fundamentalist state where the Centre has no control. Even courts find their instructions sidestepped. The state police act more as an administration backed political tool than protector of life and law. The Centre is not helpless, just occasionally protesting from a distance.
The state of affairs in West Bengal is well documented, with the rest of India giving it a royal shrug. The question that Indians of Bengali stock find no clue from the “strong nationalist Modi” administration is why this blind eye to a critical part of the nation. More so since the state is the link with the entire northeastern India. While the Central government is waking up, West Bengal under its political dispensation has effectively differentiated itself from the nation.
A state that once was such a prize asset that Jinnah lamented what would be the use of Bengal in Pakistan unless Calcutta came with it. British governor generals as a ploy wanted Calcutta to be made a free port like Hong Kong. For Gandhi Bengal and its people were treasures, same was with Nehru, Patel et al. In sum Bengal, truncated but with Calcutta, was accepted rather reluctantly by the newly created nation. The same reluctance must not be present under Modi administration.
West Bengal’s political isolation since the departure of the British and the loss of political influence in the national context helped both the communists and Mamata Banerjee’s gang called Trinamool Congress to carry on with their despotic rule without any national supervision. In order perhaps to avoid national scrutiny when West Bengal’s Jyoti Basu was offered the PM’s post, his party declined the offer, and let Basu remain in West Bengal only. The state and its cheer brigade took pride in isolation which resulted in today’s point of no return.
Apart from political, the economic isolation of West Bengal has helped creating an unruly fundamentalist state there. Those who can leave the state do. Even casual workers look for jobs outside, since there is nothing that the state can offer. Mamata Banerjee just intends to provide some pocket money from strained resources to keep the voters destitute and dependent on doles. West Bengal is a case study of failed democratic system. For New Delhi, still taking a nap, time has really run out. The deep rooted fundamentalism and bankruptcy—financial and intellectual—are now beyond correction through any civilised democratic process.
Narendra Modi has a global image that is shining. The point PM Modi would like to remember is Indira Gandhi has a place in the heart of India as well as global history for creating Bangladesh and saving a community from atrocity. The way situation has taken shape, the same history seems to be rewritten with West Bengal slowly moving towards secession from India. If it eventually happens, as it looks like a distinct possibility today, the blot on Narendra Modi’s leadership will never be erased. For Gandhi West Bengal was a political failure. Some drastic step is needed to be taken in bringing back West Bengal to national mainstream, so that PM Modi continues to be a star.
* Sugato Hazra is founder of Poliminds Consult, a content agency for aspiring and practising politicians.