‘India’s soul at stake’: Bengalis vote in divisive election
In the sleepy, swampy surroundings of Nandigram, West Bengal,… a vicious political showdown has been brewing.
West Bengal, one of India’s most populous states, will begin voting in its elections on Saturday to elect its state government. The significance of the poll, however, spreads far beyond the state’s borders. “The soul of not just Bengal but India is at stake,” said Malay Tewari, a Bengali social activist….
“If the BJP comes to power, they will destroy the legacy of Bengal, they will destroy the unique composite culture of Bengal. They will destroy it all and Muslims will take the first blow,” said Tewari, who is one of the co-founders of a new cross-party citizens movement in West Bengal with the single objective of “no votes for BJP”….
