| ID | 152996 |
| Title Proper | Bengaliness, Hindu nationalism and Bangladeshi migrants in West Bengal, India |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Shamshad, Rizwana |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) |
Abstract
Hindu nationalists made migration from Bangladesh an election campaign in West Bengal during the 1990s. Although there were various allegations against Bangladeshi migration, it never became a mainstream political issue in the state, like in neighbouring Assam. West Bengal shares the longest border with Bangladesh, compared to any other Indian state, and hosts a large number of Bangladeshi migrants, according to the Census reports in India. West Bengal and Bangladesh share a common ethnicity, both are predominantly Bengali. Can this shared Bengaliness explain why Bangladeshi migration did not become a divisive political issue in the state? If this sameness is a bonding factor, what about the Ghoti-Bangal differences? Drawn from in-depth interviews with the representatives of West Bengal’s key civil society organisations and political parties, I argue that a particular historical and cultural process, unique to West Bengal and Bangladesh, has shaped the current attitude towards Bangladeshi migrants in the state. |
| `In' analytical Note | Asian Ethnicity Vol. 18, No.4; Sep 2017: p.433-451 |
| Journal Source | Asian Ethinicity Vol: 18 No 4 |
| Key Words | Civil Society ; Refugees ; Hindu Nationalism ; West Bengal ; Ethnie ; Bengaliness ; Bangladeshi Migrants ; Ghoti-Bangal |