There has been a steady stream of violence in Bengal for the last decade. Every few years violence breaks and taking many innocent lives. But since last year the frequency of violence has gone up as the incumbent government in Bengal TMC headed by Mamata Banerjee and BJP headed by Narendra Modi are in direct conflict and all are aiming for 2021 state elections that will determine the next government in the state.
On July 2, a Facebook post by a 17-year-old boy triggered a communal riot in Baduria leading to the death of an RSS worker, which left around 25 people, including 20 policemen, injured. (economictimes.indiatimes.com)
On Monday night, Baduria police station was attacked and set ablaze and so were several police. The state government rushed 400 troops of paramilitary BSF to assist the police in containing the situation. A violent mob put up road blockades at several places and attacked members of other community, besides destroying many shops. Later, it is found that the agitation broke as a result of a abusive social media post by a teenager named Souvik Sarkar. The teenager was immediately arrested. (wikipedia.org)
And if the official statistic with the state police administration is any indication, the truth is that there had been as many as seven communal flare-ups in the past one month in West Bengal — all triggered by social media posts. (economictimes.indiatimes.com)
https://youtu.be/5jIF05jEmHc
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday accused the Centre of smuggling in foreigners from across the international border to perpetrate violence the state. (deccanchronicle.com)
Banerjee asserted that the international border was for the Central government to look after, but the Centre instead was "opening the gates and letting outsiders enter the country to conspire and cause violence." (deccanchronicle.com)
She also claimed her state was getting no cooperation from the Centre in any matter."I am very saddened to say that there has been non- cooperation from them (Centre). Despite the court order, no force has been deployed in Darjeeling," she added. (deccanchronicle.com)
The war of words
After the governor of West Bengal informed the centre about the situation of the state, TMC Officials went on to give various statements saying that the governor is working on behalf of BJP.
Mamata Banerjee, in her press conference said that the Governor spoke very badly to her and she felt humiliated.
Referring to the spat between Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Tripathi, Rahul Sinha BJP national secretary said, "The Trinamool Congress is under the illusion that it can silence K N Tripathi by making hollow remarks and attacking the office of the governor." "But they have forgotten one thing - K N Tripathi is a soldier of the Modi brigade. He cannot be stopped from performing his duty," he told reporters here. Sinha said the governor's recent statement has proved that he is "not afraid" of the TMC.
(dnaindia.com)
Tripathi said it was wrong to say the Raj Bhavan has become the office of BJP or RSS. "The Raj Bhavan is not a department of the state government and is open to every citizen for redressal of his or her grievances," he had said. TMC secretary general Partha Chatterjee said, "We have been saying this for a long time that the Governor is working on behalf of BJP and RSS and now Sinha's comment has proved that we are right." (dnaindia.com)
Other riots in the past
Dhulagarh Riots
On 13 and 14 December 2016, mobs attacked and looted shops and houses and set them on fire in Dhulagarh in Howrah district of West Bengal following an altercation on 12 December 2016 between processionists and local residents who observing gious rituals. The possession was attacked following which dozens of homes were burnt and destroyed in retaliation. Though the state government denied any incident of communal riot in Dhulagarh, yet the victims seem to agree with it. (wikipedia.org)
Canning riots
The 2013 Canning riots were riots between Bengali Hindus and Bengali Muslims in the Indian state of West Bengal on 21 February 2013. The riots occurred in the Canning subdivision, after a Muslim cleric was killed by unidentified assailants. Following this incident, Muslim mobs burned down over 200 Hindu homes in the villages of Naliakhali, Herobhanga, Gopalpur and Goladogra villages in the Canning police station area.
Deganga riots
The 2010 Deganga riots occurred at Deganga in the district of 24 Pargans(North),West Bengal on 6 September 2010 when Muslim mobs resorted to arson and violence against the local Hindu community. (wikipedia.org)
Kolkata Riots
The 2007 Kolkata riots took place in Kolkata on 21 November 2007, when Muslim anti-Taslima protesters under the banner of All India Minority Forum blockaded major portions of central Kolkata and resorted to arson and violence. (wikipedia.org)
The violence is not coming to an end anytime soon. The elections are scheduled in 2021 which is far away. The only way the BJP can install a government there is by dismissing the present government for not being able to run the state peacefully. The BJP has been on a bull run when it comes to elections in India and if West Bengal goes to vote and Gorkhaland is burning this may be a great opportunity for the ruling party in the centre.