THE year was 1992. West Bengal’s streets were witnessing large-scale bloodshed caused by a sudden political violence. Fed up with the unending cycle of brutality, Bengalis across cities ventured out on the streets holding hands. It was a show of immense strength by the common man for upholding the value of communal harmony. People’s power had delivered a strong message with a roaring silence. Thirty-four years later, West Bengal witnessed an almost similar movement, this time through the ballot box. Done with the Trinamool Congress’ appeasement of radical Muslim elements for its political gains, tired of the cruel treatment meted out to the Hindu majority, frustrated by the constant exploitation of a communal wedge by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, voters in the State resorted to another hand-holding to usher in the change West Bengal desperately wanted for over a decade.

 

With Suvendu Adhikari’s ascent as Chief Minister, West Bengal’s politics has registered a definitive shift whose resonance will be definitely found in all other States of India. The massive mandate handed by the voters to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is a call of the silent voter who was done with the dictatorial governance of TMC. From three seats in the 2016 Assembly election, the BJP was given over 200 seats as a vote of confidence. It was a great show of faith by the silent voters who are now seeking a new dawn for the State which had clearly deviated from its glorious past to become a communal cauldron. The State had turned into a living hell for people in the hinterland as local goons backed by the TMC leadership enjoyed a free run. The horrible sexual exploitation of women in Sandeshkhali was a black chapter in Bengal’s history. Persecution unleashed by criminal elements after the elections had shattered the soul of democracy in the State.

 

Bengal had been living under a shadow of fear and violence underlining the State’s propensity for use of force to quell legitimate protests. The anger of the common man over the planned violence in Murshidabad over the Waqf Amendment Bill was a signal that the TMC had overplayed its hand. And the gruesome rape and murder of a junior doctor at the R G Kar Hospital in Kolkata proved to be the final nail in the coffin for the ruling party. In each of these incidents, there was a pathetic lack of intent from the TMC leadership. In every case, Mamata Banerjee was too slow to react to the situation. Her attempts to suppress the incidents were becoming too evident for the people. With the fire reaching the big cities, it was again time for the Bengalis to come together holding hands. They did, without any noise or bluster but through their vote. West Bengal’s election has once again shown that electoral politics is not always decided by simple arithmetic. It was a decision delivered by the people going beyond linear mathematics of voter percentage, caste factor and religious calculations.

 

The vote was a desperate call from not only the Hindus but also from the marginalised Muslims who decided to finally seek freedom from the communal pogrom unleashed by the TMC machinery across West Bengal. Apart from the significantly sharper consolidation of Hindu votes, election results have also shown considerable rise in vote-share for the BJP in Muslim-dominated areas. The verdict is for change –from violence, corruption and years of subjugation. Winning Bengal after years of hard work is a historic achievement for the BJP. The State had resisted the party’s ideology and governance model for many years. It has now made a decisive shift to accept the BJP as an agent of positive change. The landmark verdict has now brought bigger challenges for Adhikari who has promised rejuvenation of Bengal politics, security, economy and society. All these promises demand a dedicated ecosystem trimmed of any religious bias. The CM has already received a serious reminder of how things will pan out in the State in the future. The killing of his close aide has served a grim message of how political violence has become a dirty culture in West Bengal. The cycle is not going to end immediately after the BJP assumes power. It will need systematic planning and co-ordination between all agencies.

 

The change in ground situation has to be ensured through the State Police which is set to take its own time to come out of the TMC hangover. Containing violence and hunting down hidden pockets ruled by illegal immigrants has to top Adhikari’s priority list to send an assurance to the people of Bengal. Those who have voted for change in fortune will be eager to get quick results and equal treatment. The latter part will be seen with special interest by the entire country, for, religious polarisation was a dominating narrative working in favour of the BJP in Bengal. Adhikari’s promise of an inclusive society needs to be translated into an ideal model of governance. But it is easier said than done. Decisive mandates won on the strength of intense religious discourse often propel extreme thinkers among the victors to take matters in their own hands.

 

It has been a consistent script in many States where extremist elements from both sides of the divide have created law and order problems. West Bengal cannot afford a similar situation, for, violence as a ruling strategy can only lead to repeat of the same cycle. No government can promote people’s welfare in a divisive social environment. Adhikari will have to temper his polemic Hindutva pitch with a moderate political rhetoric. He has promised a new dawn Bengal was waiting for after a long and dark night. Ensuring that bright dawn remains the biggest challenge for the BJP after the historic Bengal verdict.