West Bengal Assembly polls | High-decibel divide in battle ground seat

Less that two decades ago, towards the end of the Left Front’s 34-year regime in 2007, Nandigram not only emerged as the sign of protest against forcible land acquisition but it also as one of biggest symbols of communal harmony. Hindus and Muslims came together to resist the acquisition of land for a petrochemical hub proposed by the then government and people from both communities were united in the resistance during the violent agitation that raged for months. In 2021, however, when Nandigram once again has been catapulted to centrestage in West Bengal politics, the political narrative is dominated by the communal divide, about the the “70 and 30” split.