Explained: Why Matuas Of Bengal Are Celebrating Rollout Of The CAA

Thunderous roll of drum beats, blowing of conch shells, loud ululations and spirited revelry accompanied by distribution of sweets, marked the news of the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in Thakurnagar — the headquarters of the Matua sect — and some other parts of Bengal Monday (11 March) evening. 

The Matuas belong to the namasudra caste, who fled religious persecution in East Pakistan, and then Bangladesh, in successive waves since 1947. 

Numbering about 30 lakh, the Matuas are the second-largest Scheduled Caste (SC) group in Bengal after the Koch-Rajbanshis of North Bengal. Matuas constitute nearly 18 per cent of the 1.8 crore-strong SC population of Bengal and are concentrated in North and South 24 Parganas and Nadia districts of the state. 

The Matua sect was founded by Harichand Thakur at Orakandi in Faridpur district of (erstwhile) East Bengal in 1860. Immediately after partition of the country in 1947, Harichand Thakur’s great grandson and heir Pramatha Ranjan Thakur — who was the head of the Matua Mahasangh — migrated to Bengal and set up the Mahasangh’s headquarters at Thakurnagar in North 24 Parganas. 

While many Matuas have managed to obtain Indian citizenship, a sizable section of the community still live in uncertainty as non-citizens and are deprived of many welfare schemes. 

“Many of us have managed to procure documents and, on the basis of those documents, obtained Indian citizenship. But there are many others who have not done so and are, thus, considered illegal immigrants. The rollout of the CAA will make them bonafide Indian citizens and give them a life of dignity,” Matua Mahasangh leader Animesh Biswas told Swarajya. 

Mahasangh president and Bongaon’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Lok Sabha MP Santanu Thakur said Monday is a historic day for Matuas. “The ordeal of lakhs of Matuas who have fled persecution and come into India will ultimately come to an end. They will no longer be branded as refugees,” Thakur told Swarajya. 

Thakur explained that till now, a member of the Matua community fleeing persecution from Bangladesh would have to go through a lot of trouble to obtain Indian citizenship. 

“Apart from showing a number of documents and making countless appeals, the waiting period for getting Indian citizenship was very long and the process too cumbersome. And all the time, till being granted citizenship, a migrant would be considered an illegal immigrant. That was painful and demeaning for lakhs of Matuas. 

“Also, during this long waiting period, a person who had applied for Indian citizenship would have no rights and would be susceptible to various forms of persecution and exploitation by the state authorities. That has been done away with now,” the Lok Sabha MP explained. 

There’s another important fallout of the amendment to the Citizenship Act of 1955.

“The CAA gives legal status to religious minorities from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan who flee persecution in those countries and come into India. The law now accords, even though indirectly, recognition to not only the persecution that religious minorities face in the three countries, but also their compelling need to flee such persecution and migrate to India. The CAA also makes it much easier for Matuas to get Indian citizenship and assures them dignity during the time they wait for Indian citizenship,” explained Mahasangh leader and BJP MLA Subrata Thakur. 

Matua community leaders who are affiliated to the Trinamool Congress argue, rather weakly, that the Matuas possess documents like Aadhar cards and voter ID cards, and many are Indian citizens. They contend that the Bengal government has offered many facilities and recognition to the Matuas. 

However, in many cases, such documents and Indian citizenship have been obtained by means that are not legal. Many such documents have been obtained on the basis of fake claims. 

But from now on, Matuas (and other persecuted minorities from the three countries) will not have to resort to subterfuge to obtain Indian citizenship. 

“Since the process (of granting citizenship) has been made short, easy and transparent, migrants will not have to resort to fraudulent means to obtain citizenship. Another very important development is that the role of capricious and venal state government officials in the entire process has been completely obliterated,” said Biswas. 

The Matuas are a close-knit community and decide the electoral outcomes in at least four Lok Sabha seats in Bengal. But the effect of the rollout of CAA will be felt in a few other Lok Sabha seats as well, where Matuas are present in sizable numbers.