ABSTRACT
This chapter begins with the question: how did the Left perceive caste? With regard to the caste question, the politics of the Matuas in contemporary West Bengal as a cohesive group under the leadership of Matua Mahasangha (MM) over the last decade have undoubtedly played a significant role. The Matuas, mobilized by the MM primarily on the grounds of their caste affinities, constitute one such important group in contemporary West Bengal who have gradually shifted their support from the Left Front (LF) to Trinamool Congress under the guidance of their frontal organization. The Marichjhapi massacre is one of the darkest chapters in the present history of West Bengal where the LF government conducted a systematic attack on the refugees who were exclusively Dalits. The chapter describes the upper-caste character of the mainstream Left and shows how it has failed toaddress the local concerns and demands of the Dalits in West Bengal.
