Bengali or Hindu? State Day date row mirrors BJP, TMC 2024 poll pitch

In the discord between the TMC-led state government and the BJP-led Centre over the date of West Bengal Day lies a broad hint of the poll pitch the two parties are likely to adopt for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has called an all-party meeting on August 29 to determine a suitable date to observe Paschimbanga Divas, weeks after Governor CV Ananda Bose unilaterally declared June 20 to be the state’s foundation day. The Governor was ostensibly acting on the Centre’s directive.

The all-party meet to be attended by even those without any legislative presence will also select a state song.

The meeting has been convened to take a final call on the matter after a committee constituted by Assembly speaker Biman Banerjee recommended that it be observed on Poila Boishakh, the first day of the Bengali calendar.

Why June 20?

It's not for nothing that after over seven decades of Independence, the need for a State Day was felt, kicking off a controversy.

First, why has the Centre opted for June 20 as the foundation day of the state? On this day in 1947, the Bengal Legislative Assembly met to decide the fate of the undivided province.

Members of the non-Muslim-majority areas that comprise present-day West Bengal adopted a resolution by a division of 58-21 votes for the partition of the province with Hindu-majority areas becoming a part of India.

The BJP claims the resolution saved Hindus from the Islamist ploy of subjugating them in a United Bengal. The saffron party gives credit for this so-called “rescue bid” to its founding ideologue Shyama Prasad Mookerjee.

For the past few years, right-leaning think tanks comprising many BJP leaders and supporters have been trying to revive the horrific memory of the Partition through seminars, photo exhibitions, and discussions in a bid to incite Islamophobia.

Some of these organisations have also been celebrating June 20 as Paschimbanga Divas.

Hindutva narrative

But by giving an official recognition to the day, the BJP government at the Centre mainstreamed the narrative. It is in line with the growing postulation in the BJP that its Hindutva plank is failing to make much impact in the state electorally or otherwise due to a lack of local connect.

This inference was made at a meeting of the party’s eastern and north-eastern state units in Guwahati in July this year. It was even suggested that the party’s political slogan “Jai Shri Ram” be replaced with “Jai Ma Durga” or “Jai Ma Kali” to appeal to Bengali Hindus.

“It is the Partition that fortified the Hindu-Muslim binary by identifying territories on the basis of religion and displaced people because of their religious identity. Since a large population of West Bengal trace their roots to the erstwhile East Bengal, the BJP feels that the event would touch a raw nerve among those whose families were forced to migrate because of their religious identity,” political commentator Amal Sarkar said, deciphering the BJP’s strategy behind the move.

That the BJP would not miss an opportunity to harp on the tragic event was apparent when its national president JP Nadda earlier this month compared the violence during the state’s rural elections to the mayhem of Partition.

The BJP also observes “Partition Horror Day” on any day between August 13 and 15.

Mamata’s opposition

Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress government has strongly opposed the move to observe June 20 as the State Day, saying the trauma of Partition should not be associated with the occasion.

As a foil to the BJP’s ploy, the TMC zeroed in on Poila Boishakh to mark the occasion to play up Bengali identity over religious identity. All non-BJP parties are likely to approve the date.

Harvard University professor Sugata Bose, who is an adviser to the committee constituted by the Speaker, said the date was considered because it is auspicious and also resonates with Bengali culture.

The state government's urge for a state song is also part of its Bengali assertion as a counter to BJP's Hindutva push.

The TMC further plans to isolate the BJP on the issue by convening an all-party meeting to decide on the date.

“Unlike the BJP, we believe in consensus. The chief minister has asked all political parties to share their opinion on the proposal,” said Bengal Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sovandeb Chattopadhyay.