Why Trinamool Government's Minority Appeasement Is To Blame For The Ram Navami Riots In Bengal

Howrah and Dalkhola in North Bengal’s Uttar Dinajpur witnessed rioting on Ram Navami day. 

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee blamed organisers of Ram Navami processions for the violence, saying that the processions were routied “illegally” through what she termed were “Muslim areas”. 

And therein lies the crux of the problem.

Dubbing a part of the state where Muslims may happen to be in a majority as a “Muslim area” is a reflection of her minority appeasement policy. And that not only triggers muscle-flexing by Muslims, but also breeds resentment among Hindus. 

Ever since the Trinamool Congress came to power in the state, various restrictions have been placed on Hindu religious festivals and events. 

In 2017, she even issued a diktat restricting immersion of murtis of Goddess Durga on Dashami and the next day because of Muharram. This unfair order was struck down by the Calcutta High Court which termed it “arbitrary”. 

The then acting Chief Justice of the High Court, Justice Rakesh Tiwary, made very pertinent observations while junking Banerjee’s diktat. 

He asked if, by imposing restrictions on immersions just because Muharram happened to fall on the same day, the state government was assuming that the two communities (Hindus and Muslims) cannot stay together. 

Justice Tiwary had also ruled that just because the state government “dreams that something can go wrong”, it “cannot impose restrictions”. 

The acting chief justice also asked if, by imposing such restrictions, the state government was “creating a line of division between the two communities”. 

“Let them (Hindus and Muslims) live in harmony, do not create a line between them,” Justice Tiwary had observed.

But Mamata Banerjee, it is clear, has not heeded Justice Tiwary’s wise counsel.

If Muharram processions can pass through Hindu-majority areas without triggering any resentment or objections from Hindus, there is no reason why Ram Navami processions cannot pass through Muslim-majority areas. 

What the imposition of such restrictions on Hindu festivals also does is incite muscle-flexing by Islamists who get the impression that they have the backing of the state. 

And it also encourages radicalism among Muslims who, as Mamata Banerjee herself confessed, are “milch cows” (meaning a community that keeps her in power). 

Such statements, complemented by acts of blatant Muslim appeasement like imposing restrictions on Hindu festivities, naturally generates a feeling among Muslims that they are a privileged community.

“This feeling has also, naturally, bred resentment among Hindus. And that has led to an unfortunate division between the two communities at many places,” said sociologist Barun Sarkar. 

It is imperative for the state to be impartial and treat all communities equally. This means that while no restrictions are imposed on Muharram processions passing through Hindu-majority areas, and rightly so, Hindu religious processions should also be allowed to pass through Muslim-majority areas. 

A qualification, however, is in order: no participant in a religious procession should be allowed to raise provocative, objectionable or disrespectful slogans or make similar gestures and any one doing so should be strictly penalised. 

“It is for the state authorities to make every community understand that they have to be tolerant and refrain from objecting to festivities of other communities in areas where they may be in a majority or present in substantial numbers. If, tomorrow, Hindus voice objections to a Muharram procession passing in front of a mandir, it is for the state authorities to make Hindus understand that such objections are illegal and unjustifiable, and should not be raised for the sake of maintaining communal harmony. Similarly, Muslims also need to be explained that any objection to Hindu religious processions passing by masjids or mazars is untenable,” said retired police officer Rathindranath Bose. 

Unfortunately for Bengal, Mamata Banerjee does not display such impartiality and is widely perceived to favour only Muslims who she considers her loyal vote bank. 

This reflects in the police crackdown in Howrah over the last two days. According to BJP leaders and many locals, members of only the Hindu community have been rounded up and arrested. 

“There are many video clips of people throwing stones on Ram Navami processions, and of people attacking business establishments and setting vehicles on fire. But no action has been taken against them,” said BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari. 

Such alleged one-sided police action, said sociologist Barun Sarkar, only provoke anger and resentment against Hindus. 

“This anger will transform into resentment against the Muslim community because of the state’s perceived partiality towards them (the Muslims) and that will create fault lines between the two communities. The state’s policy of perceived minority appeasement, thus, creates communal discord,” he added.

That is why, say many, Mamata Banerjee’s policies are leading to communal disharmony in Bengal.