Amid concerns over ongoing SIR in West Bengal, some Matuas go on fast, others seek citizenship under CAA

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee volition sojourn Thakurnagar, the spiritual office of the Matua assemblage successful Bongaon subdivision of North 24 Parganas territory bordering Bangladesh, connected Tuesday and instrumentality retired a 3-km roadshow earlier addressing a nationalist meeting.

This volition beryllium the 2nd clip Ms. Banerjee volition beryllium taking to the streets against the ongoing peculiar intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls since the workout was rolled retired successful the State connected November 4.

The Chief Minister’s sojourn assumes value arsenic the community, comprising Hindu Namasudras with roots successful Bangladesh, is among groups of radical apprehensive astir the SIR successful the State. Ahead of the 2026 Assembly election, the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) is trying to scope retired to the number assemblage that voted for the BJP successful the past 2 Lok Sabha polls. The TMC has precocious gained crushed successful the portion by defeating the BJP successful the 2024 bypolls.

Since November 5, a conception of members of the Matua assemblage led by TMC Rajya Sabha subordinate Mamata Bala Thakur has been staging a hunger onslaught astatine Thakurnagar. According to Ms. Mamata Bala, members of the assemblage are acrophobic arsenic the Election Commission is utilizing the 2002 voters’ database arsenic the basal for the SIR.

‘Dying of fear’

“There are galore of america who person each the documents, but bash not person our names connected the 2002 voters’ list. We are dying of fear. Many of america came from Bangladesh astatine a clip of distress; we had thing but the apparel connected our body,” she told The Hindu.

The TMC lawmaker besides asked however radical without families volition nutrient documents of parents to beryllium their citizenship. The SIR has pushed respective radical from the assemblage to use for citizenship nether the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA).

Not acold from the protestation site, BJP lawmaker from Bongaon and Union Minister Santanu Thakur has acceptable up a campy for Matuas to use for citizenship nether the CAA. Mr. Santanu and Ms. Mamata Bala hail from the household of Harichand Thakur and Guruchand Thakur, who founded the Matua sect astatine Orakandi successful present-day Bangladesh successful the precocious 19th century.

The Matuas began migrating from Bangladesh successful 1947 and continued to get successful India some earlier and aft the warfare successful 1971 that liberated what was past East Pakistan from West Pakistan. In West Bengal, the assemblage has a sizeable beingness successful borderline districts specified arsenic North 24 Parganas, Nadia, Howrah, Cooch Behar, and Malda, and are the State’s 2nd largest Scheduled Caste community.

The CAA, which was passed by Parliament connected December 11, 2019, facilitates citizenship to undocumented migrants belonging to six non-Muslim communities – Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi oregon Christian – from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, who entered India connected oregon earlier December 31, 2014. The CAA Rules were notified connected March 11, 2024, coinciding with the commencement day of the laminitis of the Matua sect.

The rules specify respective documents that are to beryllium uploaded connected an online portal (indiancitizenshiponline.nic.in/) successful bid to process the application.

A sworn affidavit declaring the state of root and day of introduction into India on with an eligibility certificate to beryllium issued by a locally reputed assemblage instauration certifying that a idiosyncratic follows 1 of the six faiths are mandatory.

“We volition entreaty to the Election Commission not to region from the caller electoral rotation the names of those who bash not fig successful the 2002 voters’ list,” Mr. Santanu said, assuring members of his conception of the assemblage that their voting rights volition not beryllium snatched distant by the SIR.

‘Taking advantage’

At the campy acceptable up by Mr. Santanu, radical are paying ₹800 to registry themselves nether the CAA, sparking accusations from the ruling enactment that the BJP is “making wealth from the plight of Matuas”.

However, those moving the campy defended the fee. “There are lawyers present who assistance marque the affidavits for ₹300. We complaint ₹250 for filling up the online form. The online exertion itself costs ₹50. Additionally, since the CAA is simply a proviso for non-Muslim immigrants, we besides contented a Hindu certificate for ₹100 and a Matua paper for ₹100,” said a information introduction relation astatine the camp.

For the online application, mandatory documents see impervious of code successful Bangladesh and a Bangladeshi individuality document, portion a photostat transcript of the Aadhaar paper is required for the Hindu certificate and Matua card, the information introduction relation said.

Gouranga Biswas, 33, who is supporting the hunger strike, expressed scepticism. “How tin we spot this process erstwhile it begins with Matuas declaring themselves arsenic Bangladeshi citizens first?”

Krishnapada Das, 47, successful the queue astatine the campy for registering nether the CAA, said, “My forefathers migrated successful the 1970s and the names of my parents are connected the 2002 voters’ list. However, we bash not cognize what mightiness hap during the SIR, truthful we thought of getting Hindu certificates and Matua cards.”