This article explores ethnographically the manufacturing of religious polarisation and violence in West Bengal, India. Since 2014, India has experienced a rise in religion-based identity conflict. Although West Bengal experienced riots during the partition of India, it remained unaffected during the subsequent three decades of Left rule. More recently, however, secular democratic forces have been marginalised and riot-like conflicts have emerged. We argue that identity consolidation in West Bengal is part of an increasing trend of religious polarisation in the country.
religious polarisation identity politics riots secularism West Bengal
Read moreBhatpara, is one of the most prominent names in the existing map of communal conflict in West Bengal. Over the years through various published and unpublished studies AAMRA has noted that Jute-mill led settlements along the river Hooghly is quite prone to communal polarisation and identity – led conflicts. This is a longitudinal study of exploring the identity consolidation in and around Bhatpara region through a series of fieldworks. This study unravels the complex politics-identity interface through intensive study of facts and artefacts. We have intentionally kept some of the raw nature of the data as there are more inconclusive questions than the answer to what happened in Bhatpara over the years. There are multiple narratives, perspectives and dimensions of each of the phenomena that have rocked the political and everyday spectrum of West Bengal.
Communalism Communal Politics Religious polarisation Conflict Political Conflict Bhatpara Kankinara West Bengal BJP TMC Riot Violence Political Violence Religious Violence Hindu Muslim Riot North 24 Parganas Ram Navami Ram Navami riot Arjun singh
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