Muslims and vote-bank politics in West Bengal

The condition of the Muslim minority in West Bengal is “very pathetic and miserable” and “in spite of your government being in power in West Bengal for more than a decade, Muslims are still marginalised, a backward and neglected section of the society,” state Congress president and party’s leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has alleged in a letter he recently wrote to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

The Opposition BJP, however, alleged that the party in power ‘appeases’ Muslims, as the majority of Bengal’s nearly 30 per cent population’s votes have helped the Trinamool secure a third consecutive term.

"Mamata Banerjee has done nothing for Muslims in West Bengal. The Trinamool has treated Muslims as a vote bank. There is appeasement. A common example we observe is when corps don’t slap cases on youth without helmets. There is no action against infiltrators who cross borders, take shelter here and indulge in illegal activities,” alleges Charles Nandi, state president, Minority Morcha, BJP.

In its 2011 manifesto, the year Trinamool formed government in the state, the party promises included Muslim universities and colleges, more madrasas and Urdu schools, and setting aside a portion of the state’s budget for plans intended for the educational and economic upliftment of Muslims. “Our promises have been fulfilled,” the 2016 election manifesto claimed, as it listed success stories.

The state budget this year mentioned that 12.47 lakh scholarships were disbursed in 2021-22. Besides, the government also stated that for self-employment, term loans and microfinance are being offered to individual entrepreneurs and self-help groups. Modernisation of Madrasas, new hostels, marketing hubs and construction work, have been started.

Despite these efforts, the Trinamool was on the backfoot, recently, on two counts. Two incidents with political and religious backdrops - the mysterious death of a student leader Anis Khan, and the death of eight people, when houses were burned in retaliation for the murder of a local Trinamool leader in a village in Birbhum district, were observed with scepticism by a section of the community. In the recent assembly by-election to Ballygunge constituency in south Kolkata, Trinamool went ahead with its chosen candidate, despite reservations having surfaced in Muslim pockets.

“In public jobs, Muslims’ percentage has increased from 3-4% to 6.7%. The progress is very slow. Because of the rise of the BJP, fearing a backlash, the Trinamool has slowed down. Besides the few freebies like iftar parties, which are on a dip, there is nothing special to ‘appease’ Muslims,” Sabir Ahmed, national research coordinator, of the Amartya Sen-led Pratichi India Trust said.

With the Congress and the Left having limited political strengths as of now, it’s a binary choice the Muslims have, like the rest of the voters.

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