Kolkata: The Muslim community in West Bengal holds the key for the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) to return into power. And no one knows this better than Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who has been often criticised for appeasing the community on religious grounds.
In the five years that she has been in power, Mamata has sought to consolidate the Muslim vote. There have been the controversial stipends to imams, the setting up of Haj houses, a new campus for Aliah University, sanction for 400 madrasa hostels and scholarships for Muslim students. She even did not allow controversial writers Salman Rushdie and Taslima Nasreen to set foot in Kolkata, while welcoming Pakistan singer Ghulam Ali with open arms.
In all her speeches, she never forgets to seek “dua” (blessings) from the community leaders and this time even got right wing Muslim outfits such as the Jammat-e Ulema-Hind (JuH) to an extent that the influential general secretary of the JuH, Saddiqullah Chowdhury, agreed to contest on a TMC ticket from Katua constituency in Burdwan district, although JuH has its own political outfit, the People’s Democratic Conference of India (PUCI).
On the other hand, Toha Siddiqui, the Peerzada of Furfura sharif shrine that holds equal clout on rural Bengali Muslims of south Bengal, is also by her side. To add to the numbers, the Shahi Imam of Tipu Sultan Mosque, Nurur Rehman Barkati, as an efficient party spokesperson defends the TMC in television interviews. Also Abdul Razzak Mollah, former veteran from the CPM fold, switched sides and is contesting from Bangur, his old constituency in South 24 Parganas.
However, in spite of such backing from the Muslim community, there are grievances especially within the younger generation who are tired of being segregated based on religion. “Appealing to us on grounds of secularism is fine. But what about jobs,” questions Shiek Mumtir, an unemployed graduate in South 24 Parganas.
Similar questions have been raised by many young voters as many families are divided on who to vote. “My parents will vote for the TMC. But I will vote for the BJP [Bharatiya Janata Party],” said Abdur Ansar, a 24-year-old from Birbhum district. “The belief that Muslims vote en masse on religious grounds is wrong notion,” he said.
“The Muslim community did vote for Mamata in both 2011 and 2014 in fear of the BJP. But this time with the CPM-Congress party alliance, things can become tricky for her [Mamata] as they also have secular credentials and are equal claimants to the communities vote,” said election watcher Subir Deb Burman.
