The Intifada that wasn't

The Pseudo-Secularism blog reprinted a column by Swapan Dasgupta titled The Riotous Media Story, which describes how the Communists in West Bengal exploited recent communal tensions in Vadodara to win the Muslim vote in recently concluded state elections:

... Communist leaders were warning people to be vigilant about a replay of the 2002 riots, the explosion of passion that yielded such handsome dividends for the Left in the 2004 general election.

The Left is headed for yet another sweep in West Bengal - no surprise there.

The army withdrew from Vadodara earlier this week, which is why I call the communal tensions there the intifada that wasn't (with a hat tip to Swapan Dasgupta). Several small Hindu temples as well as the dargah were destroyed to allow for widening a road.