CPI(M)'s Hypocrisy Exposed: From Massacring Hindus in India to 'Caring' for Them in Bangladesh

 

On August 11, 2024—the silent morning of a Sunday in India—almost everyone was surprised when they read the press communiqué issued by CPI (M). The politburo of the CPI (M) expressed serious concern over attacks on Hindu temples and minority communities in Bangladesh after the Sheikh Hasina government fell. The party pressed upon the interim government in Bangladesh to immediately take measures for the safety and security of Hindus as well as other minority groups.

 

This comes as a shock statement in the background of CPI's strong disagreement with any Hindu-related issue and past actions against Hindus within India. But this is a party with a bloody past, accused in several violent episodes that left Hindus as the main casualties. But the sudden change of heart clearly makes it questionable what prompted this statement—and if a legitimate shift has been made by its policy or was just part of their calculated politics.

 

 

During the same time that it condemns violence against Hindus, CPI (M) has conducted a rampage on Hindus and their shelters in India. Memories of the party's brutal history are still fresh, with deadly incidents that hark back to when communists really did say and do things like this.

 

1. Marichjhapi Massacre (1979): One of the darkest chapters in CPI's history was the Marichjhapi massacre, where under Jyoti Basu's leadership, the party indulged themselves in harvest killing Bengali Hindu refugees who somehow managed to escape from Bangladesh. A group of refugees had made their home on Marichjhapi Island in the Sundarbans after escaping persecution in Bangladesh. But the CPI(M) government of West Bengal saw them as a burden to the state's finances and also its political support base.

 

The government blockaded the island and stopped all food, water, and medical necessities being shipped in. The police and the CPI (M) cadres attacked back when the refugees resisted. It was a carnage; thousands of young men were massacred in cold blood, women raped, and those who managed to survive thrown from their island. The massacre in Marichjhapi captures the chilling way in which CPI(M) treated human lives as disposable to safeguard its political fortune.

 

2. Bijon Setu Massacre (1982): Yet another gruesome act that highlights the violence that has been lurking in CPI(M) veins is this. CPI(M) cadres at that time dragged 17 monks and a nun from the Ananda Marga, who were taken out of their vehicles on Bijon Setu in Kolkata. They were later beaten to death and burned alive. CPI(M) defended this inhumane massacre, saying Ananda Marga was a terrorist movement without any evidence to prove, and all were acquitted later.

 

While the Bijon Setu massacre evoked widespread condemnation, the CPI(M) leadership refused to express any remorse. The Bassiani incident exemplified the party's resolve to use brute force in order to quash its opposition and secure a stranglehold on state power.

 

3. Nandigram Massacre (2007): The West Bengal government led by the CPI (M) and then Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee tried to acquire land in Nandigram for a Special Economic Zone (SEZ). Hindu farmers in the area refused to give up their lands, and when police along with CPI (M) cadres tried to take possession of the land by force, a violent clash began.

 

In response, the government cracked down violently, killing at least 14 people in a single day of violence on March 14. The Nandigram carnage outraged the nation and spawned a popular uprising against the CPI (M). The incident lays down a clear and uncomplicated case of how low politicians like Buddhadeb could get when they are getting exposed to using state machinery for killing legitimate grievances of people.

 

 

Against the background of this history, it seems that CPI's recent statement in relation to Bangladesh could be more contextual and political than genuine empathy for persecuted Hindus. There could be a few explanations behind this recent turnaround.

 

1. The Erosion of Traditional Vote Banks: While a large proportion of the traditional vote banks has eroded for CPI(M) in past years. In Kerala, which has been a fortress of the CPI(M), the influential Ezhava community is seen to be moving more towards the BJP, given that many believe they have lost out because of minority appeasement policies. Similarly, in West Bengal and Tripura, where the CPI(M) has effectively been ousted from power with Bengali Hindus switching over to the BJP.

 

All these have compelled CPI (M) to look for an alternative way of doing things. The party seems to be trying to repair some of the damage done by past actions by raising concern for the safety of Hindus in Bangladesh.

 

2. The Need to Stay Relevant: With its hold coming down in states like West Bengal and Tripura, it is a do-or-die for the CPI (M) to stay relevant on the political map. Political analysts say that by taking a position on the issue in Bangladesh, the party may be making an appeal to especially Bengali Hindus who have background from Bangladesh. It is even more crucial at a time when the BJP has been eyeing to dominate these states by presenting itself as the saviour of Hindus.

 

3. Global Pressure: The CPI(M) may well be reacting to global pressure. The persecution of the Hindus in Bangladesh has been documented by many international human rights organisations, like Amnesty International. The CPI(M) can very well be squaring up to global human rights narratives by releasing this statement, even though their record here within the country remains far more difficult to defend.

 

4. The Recent Killing of Communists in Bangladesh: Another possible reason for the CPI's statement could be the recent killing of communists like Pradeep Bhowmick in Bangladesh. It could be only a pretext to highlight the larger overall instability in Bangladesh that even its own ideological comrades have suffered from.

 

 

Certainly the CPI's statement concerning the situation in Bangladesh marks a significant break from its past when it comes to anything related to Hindus. But this change of heart apparently is anchored in memories gone by, when the party also wore armed goons as guises and its present day political compulsions.

 

This coming from the CPI(M)—how heartening that might be to see them finally admitting something called Hindus in Bangladesh do exist. The same party that massacred Bengali Hindu refugees in Marichjhapi, burned monks alive on Bijon Setu, and brutalised the Hindus of Nandigram is phrasing itself as saviours of Bangladeshi Hindus.

 

That question will only be answered in time—when we are able to say whether it is a change of heart or just political gamesmanship. But for people who have been victims of the CPI(M), this is a painful statement grounding them in the reality that they can never forget.