CPI(M)'s Surprise Statement On Bangladeshi Hindus: What Might Have Caused This Change Of Heart?

A lot of eyebrows were raised when the polit bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) recently put out a statement calling upon the interim government in Bangladesh to ensure the safety and security of Hindus and other minority groups in the country.

“The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) expresses its serious concern at the reports of several attacks on Hindu places of worship and the minority community in Bangladesh since the fall of the Shiekh Hasina government," the statement said.

"It is evident that fundamentalist forces are targeting the minority community in the wake of the chaotic situation which developed consequent to the fall of the government," it said further, adding:

“Immediate and firm steps should be taken by the interim government that has been installed to ensure the security and safety of the minorities, their houses and places of worship.”

For the CPI(M), which had opposed the Citizenship Amendment Act so strongly and in a manner that almost seemed insensitive to the plight of Hindus in Bangladesh and Pakistan, the release of this statement is a dramatic turn.

While it cannot be said for sure as to what made the CPI(M) change tack, there are a few theories doing the rounds.

One of them is the shift in the vote of the Ezhava community, an Other Backward Class (OBC) Hindu group considered to be the backbone of the CPI(M) in Kerala, towards the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Among the reasons for the shift are the community's unhappiness with minority appeasement by communists and the fact that the Bharath Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS), a political party led by their community leaders, is in alliance with the BJP.

Another theory says that the CPI(M) is motivated by a need to stay relevant in West Bengal and Tripura, states where it has lost its long-standing dominance.

Both of these states also have a large number of Bengali Hindus who have arrived from Bangladesh over the years. The integration has been so good over the generations that it is hard to differentiate them. However, they do retain some feelings for their brethren in 'O-Paar Bangla' (the Bengali term used to refer to East Bengal).

Also, many prominent Bengali personalities trace their roots back to places in Bangladesh. Some of the well known ones include author Sunil Gangopadhyay, famous for the Kakababu detective stories; film directors Mrinal Sen and Ritwik Ghatak; magician P C Sorcar; and even former chief minister Jyoti Basu.

With the Muslims in West Bengal, including the ones who have illegally entered from Bangladesh (often with support from the left), having gone with the Trinamool Congress, the only sizable support base remaining for the left is Bengali Hindus, and turning them further away towards the BJP would not do the party any good.

Moreover, even global organisations like Amnesty International, whose reports are often quoted by the opposition in India but strongly criticised by the BJP, especially on matters like religion, have acknowledged attacks on Hindus in the neighbouring country.

Additionally, the recent brutal killing of communists such as Pradeep Bhowmick in Bangladesh may have further compelled the CPI(M) to issue their statement.

Whatever the cause may be for the CPI(M)'s change of heart, it is a welcome step from a party that once used the power of the state and its cadre to mercilessly massacre Bangladeshi Hindus settled on Marichjhapi Island, a part of the Sunderbans delta region.