Bengal is in the Midst of a Cultural Battle feat. Dr. Ranabir Samaddar

The assembly elections in West Bengal have turned into a battle for survival for the incumbent Mamata Banerjee, who is facing an unprecedented BJP onslaught with heavy weights like the Prime Minister and the Home Minister of India, Narendra Modi and Amit Shah respectively, pulling out all the stops against her. The BJP has never been able to win West Bengal and it is a big price for the party. Hindutva, unheard of in the state, has made big in-roads and threatens to alter the social structure of this state. If you listen to the big media, which only ever gives only one side of the story, the BJP has already won. How much of this is hype? How much of this is reality? Is Bengal today fundamentally different than even a decade ago?

On this episode, host Sidharth Bhatia is joined by Dr. Ranabir Samaddar, one of the best known political scientists of West Bengal and of India. He's the author of several books and currently holds the the Distinguished Chair in Migration and Forced Migration Studies at the Mahanirban Calcutta Research Group. He is the best person to analyse what is exactly is happening in the state and the future implications of this electoral battle. Tune in for an eye opening conversation.

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