The minorities in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan had fled countless atrocities and arrived in India brimming with hope. They believed that in India, they would not experience the horrors that befell them in the Islamic nations and that they would be bestowed with an opportunity to live with dignity. However, many political parties were mired in appeasement politics and could not move past it, resulting in these people’s situation remaining unchanged. However, when the Citizenship Amendment Act was introduced by the Modi administration in 2019, all of these destitute Hindu refugees became optimistic once again.
Today, while West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee opposes CAA and calls the implementation of the Act to be serving the BJP’s ‘political interest’, several communities like the Matuas in south Bengal and Rajbanshis, as well as Namasudras in north Bengal, are right now abuzz with tremendous happiness owing to the Modi government’s decision. For years, these Hindu refugees have waited to get Indian citizenship rights. They have been waiting for its implementation ever since the BJP government announced its introduction in 2019.
Celebrations galore in Matua belts in West Bengal
The happiness of the people of these indigenous sects knew no bounds after the Modi government on March 11, Monday, notified the law. Members of the Matua community celebrated the occasion by beating drums and exchanging pleasantries. They came out on the streets with flags to celebrate being awarded Indian citizenship at last. They called the historic moment a turning point in their lives. They called it their “second Independence Day”.
They expressed gratitude towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and local MP and Union Minister Santanu Thakur for implementing the CAA. A person from the Matua community said, “Our wish has been fulfilled. Shantanu Thakur is like God for us. As long as there are Matua people, Shantanu Thakur will be considered God. Apart from Shantanu Thakur and Modiji, no one else thought for us.”
Overwhelmed by the scenes on the streets of West Bengal, where these Hindus were seen dancing and singing Leader of the Opposition and Bengal BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari thanked PM Modi for fulfilling the promise of granting Indian citizenship to the weaker section of Hindus who migrated to India fleeing persecution in neighbouring Islamic countries, through the CAA.
“This is #ModiKiGuarantee I wholeheartedly thank Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi Ji and Hon’ble Home Minister Shri @AmitShah Ji for notifying the rules of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). The CAA, which was passed by the Parliament will now be implemented and the Act will come into force across the nation. The long-standing demand of the Matua Community will now be fulfilled and they will get Citizenship and no one can deny them their rights, not even Mamata Banerjee. I would like to extend my best wishes and regards to the Matua Community and the All India Matua Mahasangh,” the BJP leader wrote on X.
Matuas, Rajbanshis and Namashudras communities in West Bengal
Classified as a Scheduled Caste (SC), Matuas are Namasudras or lower caste Hindu refugees who migrated to India during the Partition and after the creation of Bangladesh (erstwhile East Pakistan). Though there are no exact figures available, it is estimated that the Matuas constitute around 10 to 15 per cent of the entire population of West Bengal. The community which has an estimated population of three crores in the state mostly resides in the North and South 24 Parganas districts and across the bordering districts like Nadia, Howrah, Cooch Behar, North and South Dinajpur and Malda.
They are known to have a presence across at least five Lok Sabha constituencies in south Bengal, of which the BJP won two – Bongaon and Ranaghat – in 2019.
The Rajbanshis is the indigenous population of north Bengal. They are a numerically smaller group that is partly comprised of Hindu refugees from Bangladesh. According to the 2011 census, Rajbanshis are the largest Scheduled Caste community in Bengal constituting 18.4 per cent of the total population of Scheduled Castes, which means around 39,37,600 people out of the total 2 crore 10 lakh SCs in WB are Rajbanshis. Their community is considered more influential in areas like Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri.
The Namasudras constitute 17.4 per cent (37,23,600 people) of the total SC population in West Bengal, the second-largest in the state after the Rajbanshis in North Bengal according to the 2021 census. The group of Namasudra Dalit Hindus were a small part of the migration who settled in different parts of India after being persecuted in Bangladesh. But their number is higher in Bengal. While the leftists have rejected them and their demands from time to time, the Modi government has listened to them. Be it in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections or the 2021 Assembly elections… every time BJP mentioned them and promised to give them respect and by 2024, their demand was heard which had been ignored for years.
Notably, citizenship rights and refugee rehabilitation constituted the core concerns of these three communities. These communities will undoubtedly be impacted favourably by the Bharatiya Janata Party’s decision regarding the implementation of CAA.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Matua Thakurbari temple in Bangladesh’s Orakandi on March 27, 2021. He visited Matua Thakurbari ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and met Matua matriarch Boroma. He had promised CAA during his first rally in Thakurnagar.
The Matuas who had once stood behind the TMC supported the BJP in the 2019 Assembly polls.
Now, the CAA implementation before the 2024 Assembly polls by the BJP government is sure to change the Matua poll calculation in Bengal.
The Matua community’s declaration of March 11 as their second Independence Day indicates how happy they are. The happiness and fervour were palpable as around 1,000 Matua members gathered at Thakurbari and danced to the beats of the donka, a traditional drum, and the rhythm of cymbals and bells as they celebrated in front of the temples dedicated to the spiritual gurus Sri Sri Harichand and Guruchand Thakur.
Let us inform you that the reason these Bengali communities are so happy is that, up until now, the past government have made no attempts to accord them respect or to hear out their grievances. However, things are about to change. These Dalit Hindus who came to India as refugees will heard and efforts will be made to provide them with the recognition they deserve.