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SIR document verification hearings spark anxiety among Matuas in Bengal
The Matua community in West Bengal is anxious over verification hearings under the SIR, fearing loss of voting rights and uncertainty over their future. Concerns are strongest in Matua-dominated areas of Nadia and North 24 Parganas districts, where lakhs of voters have been listed as “unmapped” in the draft electoral rolls and will be called for hearings by the Election Commission.
The Matua community in West Bengal is in deep distress over documents furnishing during verification hearings under the SIR and are looking forward to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Matua-dominated Nadia district's Taherpur on Saturday. "We are worried about the hearings and voting rights. We don't know what lies in the future,” a person from the Matua community from Bangaon said.
Senior political analyst Subhamoy Maitra said, “In the Matua heartland, there is a lot of apprehension among the persecuted Hindu refugees, who came from Bangladesh over the years, about SIR, related hearings and other issues coupled with CAA. However, we must keep a close watch on PM Modi's visit to Nadia and listen to his speech and observations about CAA. It may have some impact on the perspective of the Matuas.”
Another woman from the Matua community said, "We want to know from the PM why our names will not be in the voter's list.” ET took a detailed look into the data of Matua-dominated seven assembly constituencies of Nadia district and five assembly constituencies of North 24 Parganas districts, with comparatively high number of unmapped voters, who will be called for hearings. The ECI will start sending hearing notices soon. As per draft electoral rolls, a total of 31,39,815 voters were unmapped who will be called for hearing.
In Nadia district's Matua belt, the highest unmapped segment is Kalyani constituency (it falls under Bongaon Lok Sabha constituency) with approximately 33,185 unmapped voters. Ranaghat Uttar Purba (SC) assembly constituency has approximately 31,891 unmapped voters, Krishanganj (SC) with approximately 30,024 unmapped voters, Ranaghat Uttar Paschim with 28,805, Ranaghat Dakshin (SC) with approximately with 27,595 unmapped voters, Chakdah constituency has a total 22,933 unmapped voters. The unmapped voters in the above-mentioned Matua-dominated ACs will be called for hearing, as claimed by All India Matua Mahasangh sources.
In 2021 assembly polls, Nadia district's majority seats were won by BJP and in the 2019 and 2024 Lok Sabha polls too. Trinamool had won two seats here. However, Gaighata BJP MLA and a family member of Matua Thakurnagar family, Subrata Thakur told ET that though names of the Matuas have come in large numbers in the unmapped category, he is hopeful that they will be able to produce one of the 11 documents as they have been living in Bengal for so long. All India Matua Mahasangh former general secretary Mahitosh Baidya told ET, “The Matuas want citizenship certificates from the Centre in an expedited manner, which will make them free of apprehension. Some poor Matuas have none of the 11 documents and they are scared to even go to hearings. They are fearing that they will be arrested or sent back to Bangladesh. We have told them not to miss the hearings.”
In North 24 Parganas districts Matua dominated Bangaon Lok Sabha Constituency comprise Kalyani, Haringhata, Bagdah, Bangaon Uttar, Bangaon Dakshin, Gaighata and Swarupnagar Assembly Constituencies, which are all reserved (SC). With Gaighata, highest of 39,357, other Constituencies, Bagdah has approximately 37,088, Bangaon Uttar approx. 30,717, Bangaon Dakshin approx. 28,967, Habra 36,087 and Ashoknagar 31,923 unmapped voters.
Asked if the Matua factor can be counter-productive for BJP in the upcoming assembly polls, political analyst Udayan Bandyopadhyay told ET “Matuas hold a symbolic value regarding the issue of religious persecution in Bangladesh which lies at the very heart of BJP's Hindutva narrative. The issue is important in terms of religious polarisation that the Sangh Parivar is so keen to establish in Bengal politics. Moreover, SIR has exposed the administrative mismanagement of the Union home ministry in relation to the CAA. The chronology theory has received a big jolt.”
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Source: EconomicTimes
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