2016/04/21 by Rizwana Shamshad · 1 citation
Social Sciences · Arts and Humanities · #South Asian Studies and Conflicts #Bangladesh Politics, Society, and Development #South Asian Studies and Diaspora #Bengali #BENGAL #Hinduism #West bengal #Politics #State (computer science) #Nationalism #Ethnic group #Mainstream #Hindu nationalism #Geography #Gender studies #Development economics #Political science #Sociology #Socioeconomics #Anthropology #Law
paper · doi:10.1080/14631369.2016.1175918
openalex publication_date 2016/04/21 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/03/30
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.