Once Refugees, Gadchiroli Bengalis Now Kingmakers

Nagpur: Bengalis of Gadchiroli were once mere refugees from erstwhile East Pakistan, who escaped religious persecution and were sheltered by the govt six decades ago in Dandakaranya forests. The community, cohabiting with tribals in an alien land, over the years, emerged as a robust section of society, contributing not only to development, but also becoming a deciding factor in elections. Currently, they are the most pursued vote-bank of Vidarbha's remotest region.
The district now has 48 villages dominated by Bengalis, which include 23 each in Chamorshi and Mulchera talukas, with a population hovering around 1.5 lakh and a voter count between 45,000 and 60,000. This can tilt fortunes of tribal leaders, making or breaking their careers in electoral runs. "Bengalis of Gadchiroli are conscious voters who analyse situations before going to the booth. They first consider who's in power in the Centre and state and then gauge prospects of contestants before casting their vote. Of late, they are swayed by Hindutva ideology," said Ramesh Adhikari, a human rights activist who also manages social media handles of a political party.
The community was earlier loyal to the ‘panja' (Congress), whose key leaders, like Indira Gandhi, were instrumental in shifting them to safer zones in central India from 1964 till 1971, offering them land to till and live here. Their allegiance witnessed a paradigm shift with time, especially after the emergence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, and they began shifting to ‘kamal' (BJP) in a big way. The Bengali population, predominantly spread across Mulchera and Chamorshi talukas, influences two constituencies of three, mostly in Gadchiroli. While Mulchera taluka is included in Aheri constituency, Chamorshi is part of the Gadchiroli constituency.
While the Bengali community stayed away from the Maoist movement, they were pivotal in ensuring the electoral success of tribal leaders in seats reserved for them. Retired school principal Shailendra Kharati, resident of Mulchera, stated the taluka's Bengali voters favoured NCP (Ajit Pawar)'s Dharmaraobaba Atram in the past as he made substantial contribution towards the community, especially by helping them restore Bengali as a language and medium in primary education in 2004 after it was discontinued in 1981. "Dharmaraobaba also played a crucial role in helping Bengali families get their names in land revenue records. Despite his assistance, there was anti-incumbency against him in 2009 when Independent candidate Deepak got a boost from the community in Mulchera, which made him MLA. Again, the there's a sweeping sentiment for Dharmaraobaba, while his nephew and Independent candidate Ambrishrao too may get some support as he was BJP's guardian minister in the past," said Kharati.
The Bengali community is also seen as a crucial factor for shaping the political career of govt hospital doctor-turned-BJP MLA Dr Devrao Holi, whose ticket was denied for the third time after he won the seat twice from Gadchiroli constituency. "Holi's wife is a Bengali, and his association with the community based in Chamorshi blessed him with a sizeable lead from the taluka against Congress. Chamorshi has around 20,000 Bengali voters, who can sway the outcome with a robust lead from here," said another Bengali resident of Chamorshi.
Social activist Bidhan Bepari of Chamorshi also stated that Bengali support to the BJP of late was a strong factor for gaining a toehold in the district, which was earlier known as a Congress bastion. "The new generations feel their ancestors already supported Congress for four decades and now want other parties to help in development," he said, adding in the assembly elections, the taluka-wise vote bank plays a more crucial role than parliamentary elections, which involve a larger part of the region.