BJP left to grapple with conflicting demands over north Bengal 'statehood call'

 Opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari calls for 'One West Bengal' but party MLA wants referendum in hills

Suvedu Adhikari along with Bishnu Prasad Sharma.: Twitter / @MLA_Kurseong

Sougata Mukhopadhyay   |  TT  |   Calcutta   |  20.02.23 :  The slogan of "Ek Paschim Banga, Sreshtha Paschim Banga (One West Bengal, Best West Bengal)" from Bengal’s Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari and a demand for public referendum in north Bengal from an MLA of his party stood out as the BJP's contradictory political stands over the sensitive demand for separate statehood that’s being voiced from multiple corners north of the Farakka barrage for sometime now.

The party’s positions, albeit differing in spirit, were expressed during a high-voltage debate in Bengal Assembly on Monday on a motion moved by Trinamul Congress MLA and state junior education minister Satyajit Burman which called for “maintaining peace, harmony in Bengal and preserve(ing) its integrity in the wake of some separatist forces trying divide the state”. The motion was passed after 12 legislators from the government and the Opposition spoke on the subject for over two hours.

The motion was moved in the backdrop of several BJP leaders, including some of its MPs and MLAs, allegedly making statements recently in support of a separate state or even a Union territory comprising the north Bengal districts and the Trinamul Congress accusing the party of “igniting separatism” in the region. The ruling dispensation clearly wanted the Opposition to officially clear the air on the Assembly floor.

While calling for a “united Bengal”, Adhikari questioned the relevance of moving this motion. “Has any recognized and Constitutionally responsible party officially made the demand of  carving out north Bengal from the rest of the state? Is there an intense agitation currently happening in the state over this demand? Then why has this motion been brought before the House at this point in time,” Adhikari asked.

“This is being done with a hidden political agenda. The Trinamul dangled the NRC carrot before the minorities before the 2019 polls despite there being no decision in Parliament for its pan-India implementation. Ahead of the 2021 state polls, the Trinamul did the same with non-Bengalis and outsider issue. It’s following the same tactic now with the statehood issue since it is about to face the panchayat and general elections shortly. It’s trying to divert the attention of the people from the burning issues like the recruitment scam, smuggling of natural resources and political violence which plagues this state,” Adhikari argued.

Quoting government figures to show how the state has released only a small fraction of its budgetary allocations for the Uttarbanga Unnayan Parshad, the Paschimanchal Unnayan Parshad and the Sunderban Unnanyan Parshad over the previous three financial years, Adhikari said: “The figures, which paint a picture of neglect for the three most underdeveloped regions of the state, speak for themselves. The state should focus on changing that sorry state of affairs instead of debating absurd motions.”

Adhikari’s colleague from the hills, Gorkha leader and Kurseong MLA Bishnu Prasad Sharma, called the motion “unconstitutional”.

“This is a subject matter of the Centre and not the state,” he said. “I have no hesitation in stating that I have been sent to this House by my people with a mandate for the separate state of Gorkhaland. I don’t think it’s important what any political party thinks about separate statehood. It’s the opinion of the people that matter. If this government really wants to find out what the pulse of the people is on this matter, it should ask the Election Commission of India to conduct a public referendum of the people of north Bengal,” Sharma demanded.

Referring to the history of Darjeeling, senior TMC leader and minister Sovan Deb Chattopadhyay maintained that the Lepchas were the original inhabitants of the hills and the Gorkha “influx” from Nepal took place in the region later during the British Raj. “I agree that development in north Bengal had taken a backseat for a long time. But things are changing now. The seed for separatism and self-governance of Gorkhas was sowed by CPI-M leader of Darjeeling hills Ratanlal Brahmin which ultimately led to the bloodshed of the 1980s. We do not want a repeat of that. It is one thing to ask for development and quite another to demand a separate state,” Chattopadhyay said.

Other BJP leaders from north Bengal districts like Shankar Ghosh and Dipak Burman focused on the lack of infrastructure and opportunities which the region has been subjected to since Independence. “The reality of underdevelopment, neglect, ethnic and cultural considerations have led to aspirations of separate statehood which is a Constitutional demand. Not lending an ear to those aspirations would drive these people further away from the government,” Ghosh maintained.

“The demand for statehood based on ethnic and cultural identities on one hand and that of underdevelopment and neglect on the other are two different considerations altogether. The experiences of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Telengana are cases in point. But the BJP must consider whether it is possible to form a state with just 7-8 MPs?” said Bratya Basu, education minister.

“We will protect the integrity of West Bengal with our last drop of blood. There will be no further division of Bengal,” declared Firhad Hakim, senior TMC minister.