Why BJP will dent Mamata’s citadel
massacres in the country in the 20th century. The middle classes had witnessed silently the Great Calcutta Riots of 1946, the riot of 1964 and killings of youth in early 1970s. Hence to think that Bengalis are syncretic and tolerant by birth is a myth that the liberal educated Bengalis love to hold as true. The upper caste educated Bengalis are mostly anti-Dalit and think reservation is the root cause of decline of education in Bengal, and that the disorderly conduct of the lower classes is the cause of the nemesis of the state.
Many TMC followers joined the recent Ram Navami processions and Hanuman Jayanti with gusto, thinking they were taking the wind out of the sail of the religious Right. On the other hand those brandishing weapons in festivals have got scot free, and are now emboldened.
The Congress also used to justify such conduct as a means to stem communalism. But they could not protect secularism. The Congress rule over India in 1992 in this way facilitated the demolition of the Babri Masjid. There is no reason to think that such fate will not overtake the regional parties.
The writing is on the wall is clear: Whatever tactics the local powers may adopt, they have their tasks clearly cut out. The administration must be geared up to prevent any attack on secularism and the syncretic or tolerant culture of the state/s they rule, and mobilise the masses for this political task.
For both these tasks the popular governments in the states have to pull their acts together. Otherwise they will be swamped by a conservative Right. Their pro-people policies will be of no avail.