CPIM stoops to earn Muslim support in Bengal

Will total surrender invigorate the party?

When an election, be it municipal or assembly or the Lok Sabha, in India is round the corner, political parties vie with each other to earn confidence of minority communities, in particular Muslims, scattered across the country. This has been the most sinewy, prankish trend ever since 1947 and true to form, there is no exception at this time too and almost all of them have joined the foray against Hindus with their own manifestos containing copious pledges to placate the Muslim community and certainly not any other minority group. The tirade has already initiated and the mantle, as usual, is with CPIM detesting to miss a single opportunity to act as messiah of Muslims. Whether the party is considered thus by the same community or is exploited for mere benefits is another issue but partisanship of the Left party to them is never-ending. Myriad instances can be cited to testify. Left political manifesto for Lok Sabha election, 2014 has been designed exclusively to earn maximum confidence of Muslims and as per fresh reports, the manifesto is generous once more. While on one hand ample assurances to expend more in minority education and health benefits can make a secular Leftist emotional, pledge to foil harassments of Muslim youths as terrorists can boost a human rights activist again. The party has also decided to appoint more Muslim candidates this time. Well, conventional Left issues like need to decentralize power along with escalating oppression of women are also included in the manifesto.

However, CPIM is not certain still and to have the largest share of Muslim votes in Bengal, the party has contacted Party for Democratic Socialism of Saifuddin Chowdhury, its one-time comrade, to its carriage of mission of Lok Sabha, 2014. And the one-time rebel but trusted comrade now has also reciprocated gratifying CPM taskmasters at Alimuddin Street lots by stating “We have agreed to fight a joint battle as communal forces like the BJP are raising their heads again” to the press and media. What makes the party so desperate? According to party’s analysis, the Muslim community corresponds to 30 per cent of population in Bengal and omnipotent Left Front was uprooted by the Mamata tsunami in 2011 thanks to this support. The party is confident that the majority of Muslims changed their loyalty to Mamata leading to its debacle then. This may propel a sane citizen to ask CPIM – what’s of Abdur Rezzak Mollah then? The party, even if it gloated with his expulsion a few days back, prefers to be tightlipped now.      

To have the blessing of Muslims, therefore, CPIM is all set to field 10 Muslim candidates from Bengal as a minimum in the Lok Sabha, 2014 election and if truth be told, this is likely to be the biggest number of tickets given to Muslim candidates in the ensuing election. What will be the role of Saifuddin Chowdhury then? Will he be in the role Aladdin for of CPIM?  Confidence of the party on his role came forth through CPIM leaders’ press statements. While Anisur Rahaman, CPM MLA and also state committee member, was found to say "There is no doubt that Chowdhury will be able to help us regain Muslim votes," Moinul Hassan, another member of CPIM state committee said in clear terms, "Chowdhury's decision to support Left candidates will not only help us regain our lost ground in West Bengal but also help the entire Left force to garner support from the minority communities." After all, Muslim votes under pseudonym of minority votes matter to CPIM most.

Hindu Samhati regularly monitors and reports violations against Hindus in West Bengal. We also work with both governmental and NGO agencies for proper education on protection and ensure remedies to the Hindu populace as per prevailing law of the land.