»In TMC vs BJP Bengal Fight Over Matuas, the Rise of a Community and Its Caste Assertion
4-MIN READ
In TMC vs BJP Bengal Fight Over Matuas, the Rise of a Community and Its Caste Assertion
Both TMC and BJP are going all out to woo Matuas in Bengal. (File photos of Amit Shah and Mamata Banerjee)
The BJP is working to assimilate the Mauta identity into the Hindutva identity. The TMC is trying to project their identity as that of the Bengali refugee aspiring for citizenship.
Last Updated:February 06, 2021, 13:08 IST
FOLLOW US ON:
About 25 years ago, I was discussing caste politics in Bengal with an eminent social scientist based in Kolkata. He said, assertively, that there is no caste in Bengal. I did not confront him but started thinking about the various class-caste conflicts that have shaped social identities in Bengal.