The latest phase of fascistization of India
has now reached Bengal - the birthplace of India's democratic movement and,
paradoxically, also a fertile ground for religious disharmony, where
historically millions converted to Islam (via Buddhism) to escape from Hindu caste oppression.
The anti-partition movement in British Bengal in 1905 gave birth to Hindu and Muslim nationalism, spreading all over British India, frustrating the incipient second democratic revolution of India. The first nascent democratic revolution was the Young Bengal movement led by eighteen year old Henry Derozio from around 1825 onwards; he died at the age of twenty-two. The movement was inspired by the ideas of French Revolution and economic philosopy of Adam Smith and David Ricardo. The movement was nipped in the bud.
The infamous Calcutta riots of 1946, killing probably 8000 people, would have embarrased Hitler. The dominant feudal classes together with the new bourgeois forces from both religious communities succeeded to put the most oppressed peoples against one another. The following quote describes the participants in the riots: "Anatomy of the crowd : Predominance of up-countrymen amongst the 1946 rioting crowd represented a broad pattern of similarity with Calcutta's preceding communal outbreaks. Amongst the Muslims the butchers, factory workers, masons, dock workers and other inhabitants of slums of central Calcutta were most active. Muslim students, including females, joined the 16th August rally. Within the Hindus the volatile section included milkmen, sweepers, rickshaw pullers, darwans (guards) of government offices and business establishments and personal retainers of the city's prominent persons. There were communal skirmishes taken place before. But, in the history of Calcutta's communal riots the Bengalis - Hindus and Muslims - joined the rioting crowd for the first time in 1946. Most pre-eminent in participation were potters, scavengers, petty shopkeepers, goldsmiths and Kalwars (artisans dealing with scrap metals), students and other middle-class groups.
The anti-partition movement in British Bengal in 1905 gave birth to Hindu and Muslim nationalism, spreading all over British India, frustrating the incipient second democratic revolution of India. The first nascent democratic revolution was the Young Bengal movement led by eighteen year old Henry Derozio from around 1825 onwards; he died at the age of twenty-two. The movement was inspired by the ideas of French Revolution and economic philosopy of Adam Smith and David Ricardo. The movement was nipped in the bud.
The infamous Calcutta riots of 1946, killing probably 8000 people, would have embarrased Hitler. The dominant feudal classes together with the new bourgeois forces from both religious communities succeeded to put the most oppressed peoples against one another. The following quote describes the participants in the riots: "Anatomy of the crowd : Predominance of up-countrymen amongst the 1946 rioting crowd represented a broad pattern of similarity with Calcutta's preceding communal outbreaks. Amongst the Muslims the butchers, factory workers, masons, dock workers and other inhabitants of slums of central Calcutta were most active. Muslim students, including females, joined the 16th August rally. Within the Hindus the volatile section included milkmen, sweepers, rickshaw pullers, darwans (guards) of government offices and business establishments and personal retainers of the city's prominent persons. There were communal skirmishes taken place before. But, in the history of Calcutta's communal riots the Bengalis - Hindus and Muslims - joined the rioting crowd for the first time in 1946. Most pre-eminent in participation were potters, scavengers, petty shopkeepers, goldsmiths and Kalwars (artisans dealing with scrap metals), students and other middle-class groups.
In the1946-riot, contemporary accounts also emphasize
the prominence of Hindu and Muslim gundas (a term denoting a broad spectrum of
social groups (lumpens) ranging from various marginalised elements to habitual
criminals). Linkage of these gundas with the world of organised politics was
clear and the riot witnessed communal solidarity across class lines." (
Banglapedia).
**********************************
Bengal
violence over Facebook post:
Fresh
violence erupted in Basirhat subdivision in North 24 Parganas district as shops
were burnt and houses vandalised. (Samir Jana/HT PHOTO)
A
65-year-old man died of stab wounds in Kolkata on Thursday as fresh violence
erupted in parts of West Bengal’s Basirhat region that has been rocked by
communal clashes over a controversial Facebook post.
There
was unrest in a couple of blocks on July 3, 2017 following an obscene Facebook
post by a class 12 (A level) student targeting
Islam and its Prophet. The boy was taken into custody and the flare up was
contained by July 5, 2017.
The problem
was exacerbated following a public face-off between the Governor (Hindu BJP
supporter) and the Chief Minister ( Local Trinamul party, an offshoot of the
Congress party). One of the top BJP leaders Rahul Sinha claimed that the
Governor is a “trusted lieutenant of Modi” which has fueled the ongoing
crisis.
With the
rise of Hindu BJP in Bengal the State is witnessing routine communal unrest over
last couple of years.
With more
than 25% Muslim population, North 24 Paraganas witnessed few clashes between
communities over last couple of years. However none were as big as last
Mondays'.
Since
Sunday evening, Muslim mobs have set shops and buildings on fire and clashed
with police, angered by an offensive post on Facebook by a Class 11 (A level)
Hindu student.
As
tensions rose in the area on Thursday, mobs attacked a dargah and vandalised
shops and houses belonging to Muslims in what locals described as retaliatory
attacks. A large team of policemen struggled for hours to disperse the crowd by
caning and firing tear gas shells, but without much success. Angry mobs set
tyres on fire and sounds of local-made bombs exploding could also be heard.
The
house of a local Trinamool (ruling party in Bengal, an offshoot of the Congress
party) politician and a party office also came under attack from a Hindu mob the
same evening. “I was at the Basirhat police station when a group of anti-social
elements descended on my house around 5.30 pm,” Basirhat (south) Member of the
local legislative assembly Dipendu Biswas told HT.
Reports
emerged that Trinamool leaders were unhappy with Biswas’ activities in the area,
and have summoned him to the party office in Kolkata on Friday. Residents of
Harishpur and Mailakhola villages also alleged that the MLA accompanied the
police when they went to Hindu-dominated areas in search of weapons.
The
area continues to be under prohibitory orders and internet services remained
suspended for the second day in a row. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee has asked
all political parties to refrain from visiting the riot-affected zone until
peace is restored. “Please cooperate with the government,” she said on Thursday
evening.
The
violence has taken a political colour with the BJP (Hindu fascist
party) accusing chief minister Mamata Banerjee of appeasing Muslims and the
ruling Trinamool Congress alleging the saffron party was inciting communal
passions for electoral benefit.
A
team of three BJP MPs – Meenakshi Lekhi, Satyapal Singh and Om Prakash Mathur –
are scheduled to visit Basirhat on Friday, and submit a report to party
president Amit Shah. But state government sources told HT that the local
administration was likely to block their entry, setting the stage for fresh
confrontation.
Local
residents blamed police and security forces for instigating the violence and
acting in a partisan manner. “Police are raiding the houses of the victims,
instead of arresting the rioters,” state BJP president Dilip Ghosh told
reporters in Kolkata.
A
few residents demanded that army should be deployed as they had little faith on
the police but on Thursday, the state government rejected an offer by the Centre
for more troops.
The
epicenter of the violence, Baduria, however remained calm as shops and markets
opened and vehicles plied normally.
In
Kolkata, scuffles broke out at the RG Kar Hospital after Ghosh’s death between
Trinamool Congress and BJP workers. Bengal president Dilip Ghosh and BJP
national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya faced resistance from Trinamool
supporters and had to return without meeting them.
“He
was the ward president of the party in Basirhat,” remarked BJP state secretary
Dilip Ghosh. However Kartik Ghosh’s sons denied that he was linked to any
political party.
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