Hindus in India, Bengalis in Bengal: the role of religious and regional identities in West Bengal politics

Abstract

As the Communist and Congress Parties continue their downfall in West Bengal, two parties relying heavily on identity politics are entrenching their positions as the main political forces of the state: the Trinamool Congress with its pro-Bengali discourse and the Bharatiya Janata Party with its pro-Hindu discourse. Yet, we know little about how the political mobilization of these different regional and religious identities interact in potentially conflicting manners and inform political choices, especially among groups and individuals who identify with both. This paper interrogates the relationship between regional identity, religious identity and political opinions in the state of West Bengal. Backing its conclusions with the results of a qualitative study investigating multi-ethnic Hindu religious organizations, this article argues that, although strongly identifying as a Hindu favours the endorsement of Hindu Nationalist political ideas, identification to the Bengali identity is a stronger determinant of one’s vote.