Online Desk
KOLKATA: In December 2019, when India erupted in protests, a community in West Bengal celebrated the passage of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill.
But, a little over a year after the contentious law was rushed through both the houses of Parliament, the government of India is yet to frame rules for its implementation.
The 1.8 crore-strong Matua community has a direct impact on almost 70 Assembly seats in Bengal. Once with the Trinamool, they shifted their allegiance to the BJP in 2019 banking on the promise of being granted citizenship finally.
This need of these migrant Dalits had helped the BJP win 18 out of 42 Lok Sabha seats in the state in 2019. Now, ahead of the all-important assembly elections, the saffron camp is making no mention of the CAA - at least not till date.
Explained: Why Matuas and CAA matter in West Bengal polls
The Matua community in West Bengal are
upset about the cancellation of a rally Union Home Minister Amit Shahwas scheduled to address on Saturday. The two-day visit to Bengal was called off in view of Friday’s blast outside the Israel Embassy in Delhi. The BJP has not dismantled the stage put up for Shah, and senior leaders said they will intimate the community within 48 hours about a new date for a visit by Shah, who, the community hopes, will make an announcement about implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
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Thakurnagar: The road to the town Thakurnagar, via Habra and Bongaon South constituencies, in West Bengal’s North 24 Paragana district is dotted with congested localities, mostly unregulated refugee colonies and markets.
But this town, which is the headquarters of the Hindu minority community Matuas, has been a battleground between the BJP and the Trinamool Congress.
For the next two weeks, Thakurnagar will see major public shows by the BJP vying for the crucial votes of the Matuas who came to the state as refugees during partition.
Besides being electorally significant, the Matuas have also been part of the state’s politics over the years. Currently, it has a BJP camp and a Trinamool camp. The BJP camp, which makes up for a significant part of the community, has a primary demand citizenship.
Why Mamata and BJP are battling over this little known Bengal minority community
Matuas, who came to West Bengal during partition, are a deciding factor across 40-45 assembly constituencies in the coming state polls. They have one primary demand citizenship.
Madhuparna Das 27 December, 2020 8:00 am IST Text Size:
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Kolkata: In the fiery poll battle that is building up in West Bengal, one Hindu minority community’s demand for the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) is turning up the heat.
The Matuas, who came to the state as refugees during partition, are in the spotlight now given that they could be a deciding factor across 40-45 assembly constituencies.