Kolkata: Unlike his much-publicised peers, Debtanu Bhattacharya, a firebrand Hindutva leader and the BJP’s action man from Rahr Bangla or South West Bengal, is not a big-league politician but a leader of the masses.
Despite his family’s deep roots in saffron party politics, Debtanu, much known for his articulate speaking ability, chose to move out of the comforts of city life and lure of a shining academic career.
As a mathematics graduate, he had an option to choose a career in academics but he plunged into social work inspired by his mother, Krishna Bhattacharya.
With a history of several decades of groundwork for ‘oppressed Hindus’ living on the edge in communally sensitive areas of not only his home state West Bengal, but also in hilly interiors and far-flung areas of Assam and Tripura, he gradually became a leader of grassroots people there.
Known as someone who led a mass movement across three states spanning across three states, Debtanu lived a rag tag life that typifies more of a ‘dabangg’ leader ready to risk life for his own people.
This time, he became a surprise choice for the BJP from Birbhum after the nomination of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Birbhum Lok Sabha seat candidate Debasish Dhar was cancelled during the scrutiny of nomination papers on technical grounds. Birbhum goes to polls on Monday, May 13, in the third phase of Lok Sabha election.
In Birbhum, the BJP candidate is taking on Tollywood actress-turned-politician TMC’s Satabadi Roy, who is a three-time MP. She had won the 2019 Lok Sabha election by a margin of nearly one lakh votes.
Dhar, a former IPS officer could not furnish a ‘no dues’ certificate from the State government
On his chances of winning from the Birbhum Lok Sabha seat, Bhattacharya said, “I will do whatever my party asks me to do. We all are united and working together to fight the conspiracies of the TMC. It is a strategic move to foil their game plan.
At Birbhum, the BJP is facing stiff competition from TMC’s Satabadi Roy, who is a three-time MP. She had won the 2019 Lok Sabha election by a margin of nearly one lakh votes.
A leader of substance
Bhattacharya is the ex- chief of Hindu Samhati, which was founded by Bengali nationalist leader Tapan Ghosh. Bhattacharjee had been with the organisation as second fiddle to Ghosh. After the latter’s untimely demise in Covid-19, Debtanu took the baton of the organisation in his hand.
Hindu Samhati now has around 2 lakhs active and passive human resource strength in the entire West Bengal, Assam and Tripura. According to sources, the dedicated and combat ready Hindu Samhati cadres have been a huge source of strength to BJP in different elections. Though formally not under the banner of RSS, Hindu Samhati has been serving the Hindus and the society at large in a big way.
Among helping Bengali Hindu entrepreneurs in their business to fight against Halal economy to empower Hindus in countryside to fight jihad, Hindu Samhati is still playing a pivotal role in active mobalisation of Hindu work forces.
Debtanu not only has a very big fan following among the Hindus across the state, he is popular with Bengali Muslim women as well. Debtanu, with the help of his organisation has catered to different needs of the ‘ oppressed’ women in Muslim society. Hundreds of Muslim women have already relinquished Islam and embraced Hinduism and leading lives of sanatanis.
Wanted to become a monk
Bhattacharya, who plunged himself in the works of Sangh, wanted to abandon materialistic life and become a monk some three decades ago. According to Dhruba, who shares a deep bond with Bhattacharya and is known to him since 1990, inspired by Tapobhumi Narmada, a book written by Sailendra Narayan Ghosal Shastri, Debtanu had once decided to become a monk.
“Debtanu da has always been a rebel with a purpose. The first thing that struck me about him is his unbridled fighting spirit to reach his goals which were not self-centred but holistic. He has always put society and country before self. He wanted to embrace monkhood after minutely reading Tapobhumi Narmada but later had to refrain after a very senior monk advised him to rather devote his life for a different mission,” Dhurba said.
Winnability factor
Shatabdi Roy, the TMC MP for the past 15 years, has lost her popularity over the years largely due to her loss of touch with the masses. “Shatabdi Roy hardly visits us. Only during election times, she takes a round and tends to forget us as soon as the polls are over. This time, I think her core vote base will swing towards the BJP,” a woman voter from Birbhum said.
She did not wish to be named due to the fear of poll violence. “In West Bengal, you know voters who are against the ruling party are targeted. That’s why please don’t use my name,” the 45-year-old who is a mother of three children, a 12-year-old son and 7 and 4-year-old-daughter said.