MATUAS: ‘NEGLECTED’ BUT BEING WOOED FOR POLITICAL GAINS

For the last few years in West Bengal politics, the Matua factor has been worrying all major parties... and which way they go is the cynosure of all eyes... however, none are taking chances as far as wooing the community is concerned! If CM has announced a state holiday for the birth anniversary of the founder of the sect, in a late-night virtual address, the PM addressed them with his best wishes.

Understandably, the Union minister from the community, Shantanu Thakur had said... whatever political parties do... as long as it benefits or uplifts the stature of the community it is ok.

Let’s try to understand why the Matuas are important for political parties. Matua is a sect that belongs to the Namasudra caste.

The Matuas came to WB from Bangladesh after Partition as refugees. Matua Mahasangha is an umbrella organisation that was formed through religious reforms.

The Mahasangha was established by Harichand Thakur in the mid-19th Century. However, the movement of this sect became popular under the leadership of Guruchand Thakur, Harichand’s son. Harichand preached love, tolerance, gender equality and non-distinction irrespective of caste, class and creed.

After Partition, thousands of Matuas crossed over to WB, and Harichand’s grandson Pramatha Ranjan Thakur set up the sect’s headquarters at Thakurnagar in North 24 Parganas district, West Bengal. Initially, the Matuas had sided with the Congress Bengal but they gradually drifted away to the Left camp since 1977.

However, after several heartburns between the sect members and the Left leaders, the Front was not willing to provide them with citizenship and land rights, however, in 2010... Late Boro Ma, the matriarch of the Matua Mahasangha, had switched over to the TMC. Till 2019, the community was entirely with Mamata Banerjee’s TMC.

The scenario was “destined” to change, however, with the demise of Boro Ma as the family was vertically divided in this respect. If of her sons stayed with TMC, the other (son) and his family sided with the BJP.

Geographically, Bengal shares a huge border area with Bangladesh and has a huge number of voters who belong to the kin of refugees and hence their votes mean a lot to any party in West Bengal incidentally, Matuas are the largest section of Hindu refugees, therefore, they play a vital role in the husting.

In the 2014 LS and 2016 assembly elections, largely due to the blessings of the late Binapani Devi Thakur, the TMC ruled the area with Matua support. The winds changed and the fluttering of the Saffron flag in the 2019 parliamentary polls was a matter of fact... but the political acumen of Mamata helped the TMC to regain some lost ground in Matua-dominated areas thereafter.

The Namasudras form one of the largest chunks of SCs in Bengal, comprising 17.4% of the population, behind Rajbanshis (18.4%), according to the 2001 Census information.

The BJP has been wooing the Namasudras heavily (with the Matuas its biggest group), together totalling about 1.5 crore voters, with presence in at least 42 Assembly seats spread across North 24 Parganas, Nadia and some parts of North Bengal. In the 2019 LS polls...the BJP led in 33 of the total 68 SC-reserved Assembly segments in the state.

Of these 33 seats, 26 are Matua-dominated. The Trinamool led in 34 segments while the Congress and Left in only three. In 26 Assembly seats in North 24 Parganas and Nadia districts where Matuas have a dominating presence, the BJP won 14 seats in the 2021 crucial Assembly polls while the TMC bagged 12. In 2019, the BJP led in all 26 Matua-dominated seats in these two districts.

It is obvious that if the Dalits do not get proper representation in any political party, it will be an irritating factor for them. However, in a bid to pacify them, Senior BJP leader BL Santhosh and Bengal BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar have already spoken to Shantanu Thakur.

Also to make matters worse for the BJP... Mamata Banerjee had taken several important steps to aid the community and uplift their lives... following such beneficial schemes... a good number of people from the sect have started also showing a leaning towards the TMC.

THE CAA HEARTBURN

The community has been demanding the amendment of the Citizenship Act, 2003, for a long time. The Matuas believe that the provisions of the Citizenship Act of 2003 had made it difficult for them to get citizenship. Meanwhile, after the community supported the BJP during the crucial 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the party in the same year brought the controversial CAA. The community believed that after the implementation of CAA they will get their citizenship.

The Mahasangh has been fighting for citizenship for the past 20 years. After the CAA was brought... people of the sect were hopeful of getting citizenship. People of the sect are in a fix over the fact that since the TMC has already declared that they will not implement the CAA and the current silence of the Centre on the issue might again sweep the matter under the carpet.

With their original demand of implementing CAA put on the back burner, the BJP lost quite a ground to the TMC in the Assembly election. However, no party is leaving any stone unturned in their bid to woo the sect, which can easily turn the political tide of any party if it comes together.

THE PRICKLY CAA ISSUE

The citizenship screening drive in Assam through the NRCitizens triggered panic among the Matuas and the BJP’s promise for protection against such probable citizenship screening exercise in West Bengal won them their (Matuas) confidence.

While the TMC had formally opposed the CAA, the party also launched a campaign from the end of 2020 asking why the Centre was not being able to frame the Rules for the CAA even a year after its passage by the Parliament. It was because the Rules would further complicate matters for the Matuas, the TMC alleged, while Union home minister Amit Shah attributed the delay to the government’s preoccupation with handling the Covid-19 pandemic.

Whatever be the cause, the Matuas... today are a bewildered lot and they quite rightfully believe that their political demand is not being addressed by anyone... even as every party is playing the charmers’ role to earn brownie points from the sect.

The Modi government’s failure to frame and notify the rules of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act seems to have cost the BJP dearly in the West Bengal Assembly elections, with the Trinamool Congress getting the better of the saffron party in seats dominated by the Matuas.

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL