‘Joy Bangla’ To ‘Hindi Academy’: What Changed?
In the months after the election, Mamata appeared to lose her cool when confronted with the BJP’s ‘Jai Shri Ram’ bait- which the saffron party used to the hilt in the post-election months.
During that time, to counter Jai Shri Ram, the Trinamool came up with Joy Bangla. Bengali sub-nationalism became a theme of most of the Chief Minister’s speeches.
From there to now sanctioning a ‘Hindi Academy’, all in a year, the transition to a more ‘centrist’ position on the language issue has been gradual.
“Under Prashant Kishor, the TMC is introducing one strategy after another to divide the Hindu vote. That also explains the monetary assistance that has now been extended to Brahmin priests”, says Chakraborty.
This monthly financial assistance to Brahmin priests also came with the promise of free housing to over 8,000 Hindu priests.
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