West Bengal: Lotus development in Naxalbury

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Maoist movement is getting weaker day by day. The number of Maoist-affected areas is decreasing due to the loss of key leaders and lack of new recruits. In this background, the situation in Naxalbari, which paved the way for armed revolutionary struggles in the country, is noteworthy!  

BemThe village of Naxalbari in the northern part of Gal, which was once the stronghold of the Naxalite movement, has now become a stronghold of the Bharatiya Janata Party. Operation Lotus was launched in 2017 when BJP supremo Amit Shah dined with a Dalit family in this village. It gradually led to the increase in BJP's strength in West Bengal and Tripura. Earlier, BJP had only one member in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly, but in the 2021 elections, their number has reached double digits. BJP's persistent efforts to strengthen the Dalit, tribal and backward communities in the northern parts of Bengal are bearing fruit. 

Disappearing Left Predominance

North Bengal has 54 seats in the state legislature. The region is a hot spot for the Gorkhas of Darjeeling clamoring for Gorkhaland and the Raj Banshees of Cooch Bihar. Both these groups want to separate from West Bengal and emerge as a separate state or union territory. They hope that their wish will be fulfilled by BJP. Many here are averse to the Trinamool Congress, the ruling party of West Bengal. On the other hand, due to the unremitting efforts of the RSS workers, the BJP was able to gain a foothold in North Bengal. Today, saffron flags are fluttering there. Trinamool leader and Siliguri Mayor Gautam Dev revealed that wherever they go in this region, RSS workers are active with their community service programs and movements on civic issues. 

Naxalbury was once a stronghold of communists, especially Naxalites. But it is known that the movement started by Sanyal and Charu Mazumdar from Naxalbari spread as Naxalite movement in the country. Many people were killed in police firing here during the beginning of the movement. Most of them are women. Statues erected in memory of those killed in the firing are still visible in Naxalbari Chowki. Besides, statues of Marx, Lenin, Stalin, Kanu Sanyal and Charumajumdar were also installed. Locals feel that BJP is their only remaining alternative as the Left parties are split. The place where the rebellion started in Naxalbury in 1967 is locally known as Tiananmen Square. The BJP managed to de-prioritize Leftist monuments and Tiananmen Square without going too far. The RSS workers managed to achieve this by constructing a memorial to the Kargil war martyrs at the village entrance. The memorial includes a kukri, the local Gurkha weapon, as well as a heart-shaped symbol. If you look from there, you can see the nearby Kanchanaganga peak. It reminds of the war fought by Indian heroes against Pakistanis in Kargil mountains. The Kargil memorial is intertwined with the hearts of the youth of Nuxalbury. On the other hand, it is noteworthy that the locals have forgotten the roots of the Naxal movement.

Kargil Stupa is in everyone's mind

Minoo Saiba, a woman who works in the field next to Tiananmen Chowk, does not know who the statue is in the Chowk. The symbol of Kargil war is well known. She said that BJP is working for the country and the Kargil monument is a source of pride. The names of Kargil's immortal heroes are written on the plaque on the stupa. Visitors take selfies there. A plaque with the names of Naxal martyrs is also on a plaque next to Kanoo Sanyal's statue in Tiananmen Square. But, no one is taking selfies there. Not in Naxalbari but in Puripaka, where Sanyal lived, CPM activists now run a library. The Trinamool government is trying to convert the hut into a tourist area. But, the villagers are not welcoming the proposal. What kind of strategy will the rest of the parties follow in the 2026 assembly elections in the wake of BJP's increasing grip on the areas around Naxalbari?  

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