1 month ago
1
Senior TMC person Abhishek Banerjee connected Tuesday (April 7, 2026) alleged that the BJP authorities astatine the Centre has wounded the "pride and self-esteem" of Rajbanshi assemblage successful northbound Bengal by "failing" to honour the earlier committedness fixed during predetermination campaigns.
Addressing a gathering astatine Natabari Assembly constituency successful Coochbehar district, the TMC nationalist wide caput said the BJP astatine the Centre is yet to respond to the request by the West Bengal authorities to recognise Rajbanshi connection nether the eighth docket of the Constitution and frankincense wounded the "pride and aforesaid esteem" of members of the assemblage who person their unique, indigenous civilization and identity.
Accusing Union Home Minister Amit Shah of giving mendacious promises to the members of the community, who comprise a ample conception of voters successful Coochbehar district, helium said, "Shah had promised to rise a 'Narayani Sena' battalion of the Indian Army from the assemblage members successful 2019, 2021 and 2024 canvass campaigns, but the Centre is yet to present the promise." "BJP leaders similar Shah picture Rajbanshis arsenic friends erstwhile helium comes to their country to question votes for BJP candidates and gives tons of promises, but erstwhile the polls are implicit and helium is backmost successful Delhi, helium forgets astir the community. This is existent regarding Shah's professed emotion for each the communities, including Matuas. This shows the existent colour of deceptive BJP," helium said.
Economic hardships of Rajbanshi community
Descendants of the Koch dynasty, the Rajbanshis are the largest Scheduled Caste radical successful North Bengal, chiefly dispersed implicit Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar and Darjeeling districts and person historically faced economical hardships connected relationship of their engagement successful agriculture arsenic sharecroppers.
Their governmental value stems from their advocacy for determination improvement and designation of their Kamtapuri-Rajbanshi connection and has, successful the past, demanded the enactment of a abstracted authorities oregon autonomous council, often nether the banner of a Kamatapur movement.
Accusing Mr. Shah of being ignorant astir the civilization and practice of indigenous communities of Bengal, helium claimed Mr. Shah had misspelt societal reformer and assemblage icon Panchanan Barma's sanction arsenic Panchanan Barman portion making different mendacious committedness successful past.
"We are yet to spot the Panchanan Barma memorial successful Cooch Behar to beryllium acceptable up by the Centre arsenic Amit Shah had promised successful an predetermination gathering years back. It is different substance that helium adjacent distorted his sanction arsenic Panchanan Barman, which wounded the sentiments of each nonmigratory of Coochbehar and Bengal," Mr. Banerjee said.
He said Mr. Shah's committedness to make a spiritual tourism hub by processing fashionable temples successful Coochbehar has besides not seen the airy of day, portion the assurance to acceptable up an AIIMS-type infirmary successful northbound Bengal seems to beryllium dumped successful acold storage".
"Also retrieve however galore Bengali-speaking migrants from Coochbehar arsenic good arsenic different parts of Bengal, including Murshidabad and Malda, had been harassed simply for speaking successful Bengali successful BJP-ruled states," Mr. Banerjee said.
He described this arsenic a "fight betwixt insult, humiliation and respect, asmita and dignity," and called upon radical to "teach BJP a acquisition successful the polls." Accusing the BJP of deleting the names of lakhs of Bengalis from the SIR citing "under abjudication" cause, helium said this includes respective lakhs of Hindu Bengalis.
