‘Roti, beti, aur mati’: The BJP’s narrative of ‘Bangladeshi infiltration’ in Jharkhand

For years, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) electoral strategy in Jharkhand has centred on pitting the tribals who follow Sarna (a pagan belief system) against the Christian tribals. But since the last few months, the battle for Jharkhand’s vote has taken on a different tone. The ‘enemy’ is no longer the Christian tribals, but Muslims – many of whom have lived in the state for generations – over whom now hangs the suspicion of being ‘Bangladeshi infiltrators’.