Communalism In Bengal

This book explores the ascent and trajectory of communal ideology in pre-Partition Bengal-from the famine of 1943 to the Noakhali riots of 1946-47. The first major work to analyse communalism as an ideology located in a concrete historical plane, this book argues that the period after 1943 witnessed a clash between nationalism and communalism, where communal ideologies embarked on a new phase, determined to replace nationalism. Among the distinguishing features of this important study are that it: - Critically evaluates the historiography of communalism in India - Relates the occurrence of the Bengal famine of 1943 to the agendas and activities of the major political parties of that region-the Muslim League, the Hindu Mahasabha, the Congress and the Communist Party of India - Examines in detail the Calcutta riots of 1946 and the role of both the colonial authorities and the Premier of the province, H S Suhrawardy, in the violence - Presents an entirely fresh perspective on the reasons behind the Noakhali riots with the help of an array of new sources, both primary and secondary - Analyses Gandhi`s visit to Noakhali, presenting him as resolute and prepared to embark on an ideological fight against communalism.

An original and compelling account of the Hindu partitionist movement in Bengal.

Looks at the decade of 1940s in Bengal and provides a complete understanding of the pre-partition years.

This examination of the changing pattern of Hindu-Muslim rioting in Bengal provides a much fuller understanding of the phenomenon of communal identity and its popular response in the history of India.

In examining the major riots in Bengal between 1905 and 1947 the author has addressed the following issues: how an increased conjunction of elite and popular communalism created the necessary background for the riots; why the riots lost their initial class basis and became overtly communal; how a crowd-leadership dichotomy often asserted their 'autonomy'; and finally, how the riots promoted communal consciousness at various levels of society and polity which provided an important backdrop to the partition of the province in 1947. Against the background of the larger political dilemmas confronting India in the pre-partition period, this work has analysed the developing relationships between elite and popular participation in violence, and between the religious and secular features of their mobilization.

This book explores the emergence of identity politics and violence at the forefront of political life in an Indian state. Through a close reading of everyday politics in West Bengal, India, which until recently boasted of the longest-serving elected communist government in the world, the volume presents unique observations on Indian politics and its trajectories. One of the first ethnographic studies of religious polarisation and its interface with politics in West Bengal, this book: Offers a fresh perspective, both theoretically and empirically, by using longitudinal, multi-site ethnography, to explain the mechanisms by which identity issues have re-emerged; Studies key policy changes, political practices and series of invented traditions during periods of political transition; Examines intricate details of the micro-dynamics of the formulation and expansion of Hindu and Islamic fundamentalism and their political counterparts, which carry a capacity to push away secular, democratic forces from the existing political spectrum; Sheds light on the mechanisms of riots, its design, organisational bases and mechanisms of spread; Includes key observations from the 2021 elections in the state. The volume will be of great interest to scholars and researchers of political science, social and cultural anthropology, sociology and South Asian studies.