Abstract

As it did during the 2020 Delhi assembly elections, the BJP attempted to widen the Hindu-Muslim divide in the 2021 Bengal assembly elections. Whereas the AAP disregarded the Hindu-Muslim split by ignoring the anti-CAA protests, Mamata Banerjee, the Trinamool Congress leader, reminded the voters that no such divide existed in Bengal. Banerjee asserted that Bengali culture brought Hindus and Muslims together. In this chapter, we trace the development of Bengali identity, arguing that the most visible traits of Bengali culture are rooted in Hinduism. Thus, when Banerjee praises Bengali culture for uniting Hindus and Muslims, she supports the idea that Hinduism is Bengal’s unifying tradition. Banerjee’s stance indicates that Muslims do not threaten India’s national integrity because they have internalized Hindu culture.

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