Author: Urmila Sen

Independence in West Bengal was closely intertwined with the Partition of India, and the Partition itself was associated with several defining characteristics, including the refugee crisis, Muslim migration, and, later, the emergence of a Muslim vote bank. Within a year of Independence, Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated by individuals associated with the Hindu Mahasabha. After Partition, when the Government of India delayed transferring Pakistan’s entitled sum of ₹55 crore, Gandhi began a fast unto death. This caused concern among leaders of the Hindu Mahasabha, who believed that Gandhi would become a major obstacle to their vision of India as a Hindu…