Prime Minister Modi Promises Citizenship for Matua Namasudra Community
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi reaffirmed his commitment to granting citizenship to the Matua Namasudra community through the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) during a rally in Bongaon, West Bengal. “I pledge before Matua Namasudra community members that they will receive citizenship through CAA,” he stated at the event.
As the second phase of voting approaches on April 29 in poll-bound West Bengal, uncertainties loom for a significant portion of the electorate. A recent Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has resulted in substantial deletions of names, particularly in constituencies with a high concentration of Matua voters.
In North 24 Parganas, approximately 325,000 names have been removed from the voter list due to this revision. In Bongaon, deletion rates among those under adjudication have ranged from 67% to 88%. For instance, in Gaighata, 16,222 out of 22,278 flagged voters were removed, and Bagdah recorded over 15,000 deletions. Similar trends have emerged in Bongaon North and South, as well as across Nadia constituencies such as Krishnanagar North and South, where over 90% of scrutinized voters did not make it to the final rolls. Administrative estimates indicate that a significant number of those affected belong to the Matua Namasudra community.
Additionally, before the rally, PM Modi prayed at Thakurbari, the central temple of the Matua Mahasangha, located in North 24 Parganas. His visit, which included paying tribute to the sect’s founders Hari Chand and Guru Chand Thakur, is perceived as a strategic outreach aimed at Matua voters, who directly influence at least 34 assembly seats and an additional two dozen along the Bangladesh border. Their support was crucial for the BJP’s performance in the 2021 Assembly elections.
Founded in the 19th century by Hari Chand Thakur, the Matua Mahasangha is a socio-religious movement focused on the upliftment of the Namasudra community through education and social reform. Modi previously visited the Thakurnagar shrine in 2019 and paid homage at Orakandi in Bangladesh in 2021.
