To the Indians outside West Bengal, the political fabric of the state has been enigmatic. The narrative of the Bengali (Hindu) community being intellectual, secular and with a distinctly superior culture, has blurred the actual picture. People of the state are also considered to be politically conscious. But violence has been a means of politics in West Bengal since decades. And the actual political picture of the state remains as elusive as ever.
In this book, through a compilation of 29 articles, the author has tried to give a glimpse of the political culture of West Bengal since 1946 and the psyche of its majority and minority communities. The first three articles have been used as prologue. Issue of minorities in adjacent Bangladesh and West Bengal has been given space in the book to augment the insight about the subject under consideration. An article that touches upon the controversy about the Quran, which started in Calcutta in 1985, has also found place here.
It appears from the demographic change of past seven decades that, by the end of this century, West Bengal will lose its Hindu majority status (if some miracle does not occur) with all socio-political implications. However, a large chunk of Hindu Bengalis of the state (including descendants of refugees), maintains a misplaced idea of secularism. They refuse to look at the past, as well as, the future; least to talk of the present. Survival instinct is grossly absent in them. The majority of them love to remain politically correct for receiving material gains from the ruling party of the state or to satisfy their inflated secular ego.
Dr B C Roy of Congress was the last statesman Chief Minister of West Bengal. After he died in 1962, all ruling parties (the Congress, Communists and TMC) have systematically deprived the people from economic developments by use of deceits and even force, wherever required. Minority vote-bank based politics has been the hallmark of West Bengal politics since 1952 and it is getting worse day by day. One may call the articles of the book to be highly critical at the best or politically incorrect at the worst.
