Loving Religion, Rejecting Religious Politics:The West Bengal Experience and the Beldanga–Murshidabad QuestionIntroductionIndia has always been a land where religion and daily life coexist naturally, but the moment religion is weaponized for politics, social harmony begins to crack. The recent handling of tensions in Beldanga, under the administration of the West Bengal Government, once again brings an old debate back into focus:Can religion be respected without turning
Loving Religion, Rejecting Religious Politics: The West Bengal Experience and the Beldanga–Murshidabad Question Introduction India has always been a land where religion and daily life coexist naturally, but the moment religion is weaponized for politics, social harmony begins to crack. The recent handling of tensions in Beldanga, under the administration of the West Bengal Government, once again brings an old debate back into focus: Can religion be respected without turning it into a political tool? For many observers, the events in Murshidabad reinforce a long-held belief—loving religion does not mean supporting politics based on religion. At the same time, these developments also highlight a hard political reality: it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to dislodge the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government in the current landscape. This blog attempts a calm, rational analysis—not driven by hatred, fear, or communal bias—but rooted in governance, voter psychology, and...