With the BJP's rise at the national level under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a clear trend has emerged across India's political landscape. There has been a steady embrace of majoritarian politics by successive states. West Bengal -- the land of 'Baro mashe, tero parbon' (thirteen festivals in twelve months) -- has also witnessed a similar transformation, mirroring the broader trend of majoritarian politics sweeping across the country.

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During the 2021 Assembly elections in Bengal, the BJP, weaponising religion as a mark of identity, sought to make deep inroads into the state. Guarding the gates, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee showed she was not the one to shy away from playing the same card. She not only came up with a flawless rendition of 'Chandipath' (one of the most ancient and complete systems of mantra worship of the divine mother Goddess in Hindu tradition) but went on to flaunt her ‘Brahmin identity'. She said: "I am a Hindu Brahmin girl, I do Chandipath before stepping out of the house."

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As the Lok Sabha elections loom, Bengal has once again become a battleground of ideologies. Realising the Ram Navami celebrations on April 17 would serve as a strategic platform for the BJP to showcase its aggressive religious rhetoric, Mamata wasted no time in pre-empting the saffron agenda and stealing its thunder. In a significant move, she declared Ram Navami a public holiday.

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Over the past couple of years the state had witnessed violence during Ram Navami processions. Emerging as a main challenger to the ruling Trinamool Congress, the BJP has been using the incidents to its advantage. However, taken by surprise, the BJP has dubbed Mamata’s move as an “attempt to redeem her anti-Hindu image.” But it's come a little too late.

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To counter Mamata, the Bengal BJP unit is planning to take out Ram Navami processions across the state. The party also intends to go for a door-to-door distribution of Ram temple flags besides holding puja in various temples.

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As both the TMC and BJP lock horns in the name of Lord Ram, the spectre of communal tension looms large. Mamata has already warned against violence ahead of Lok Sabha polls and Ram Navami. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad claimed that the TMC workers were "preparing to attack Ram Navami processions."

As April 17 approaches, an uneasy calm prevails over the state. Incidentally, communal divide is not a new phenomenon in Bengal. The state is well acquainted with the politics of majoritarianism. Decades before Savarkar spoke of Hindutva, Chandranath Basu -- a 'bhadralok' (intellectual class) -- published a book in 1882 titled 'Hindutva, Hindur Prakrita Itihas' (Hindutva, the Authentic History of Hinduism).

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Organisations like Bharat Sevashram Sangha and Hindu Mahasabha played a key role in promoting Hindutva. Founded by Swami Pranabananda in 1917, Bharat Sevashram Sangha exhorted the Hindus to "fortify themselves as an unbreachable, unified community," author and journalist Monobina Gupta wrote in her column in a news portal.

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In 1904, Abanindranath Tagore painted 'Bharat Mata' as a four-armed Goddess while almost 40 years prior, poet Nabagopal Mitra, known as one of the founding fathers of Hindu nationalism, organised the first 'Hindu Mela' in Calcutta (now Kolkata) in 1867. Author Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay's 'Anandamath,' published in 1882, has been viewed as 'anti-Muslim.' In the novel, Bankim Chandra created a “mythological Hindu past” and stressed on the "rebirth of Hindu nationalism", an article in the Literary World noted. In the article 'Conflict within Conflict: A Critical Reading of Bankim's 'Anandamath', the author stated that "Islamophobia has been a significant concern."

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Indeed, contrary to public perception, Bengal has consistently experienced divisions along religious lines. After independence, the secular outfits which ruled the state had managed to keep the simmering tension suppressed. But, with the rise of Hindutva forces, the genie is threatening to come out of the bottle. It remains to be seen how long Mamata can keep it confined.