West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday conferred Bengal’s highest civilian award, Banga Bibhusan to Binapani Devi, the head of the socio religious order of Matuas and announced that a new university will be set up in honour of religious leaders of Matua community.
The Chief Minister, who was addressing a gathering the centenary celebration Binapani Devi at Thakurnagar in State’s North 24 Parganas, also announced a separate welfare board for the community.
Ms. Banerjee's visit to Matua headquarters, a religious sect of Bangladeshi Dalits who predominantly belong to the Namasudra caste and are a deciding factor in many Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal, assumes a lot of political significance.
The Chief Minister went on the count the number of scholarships and caste certificate issued for Matua community and said unlike certain States, West Bengal government is ensuring that community gets all its rights.
After announcing lot of initiatives to recognise the contribution of the community, Ms. Banerjee touched on the issue of National Registrar of Citizens ( NRC) and how namashudras are being targeted in Assam in the name of NRC.
“We are not against Assam. But in the name of NRC lakhs of people have been struck down. Is speaking in Bengali a crime ?," the CM asked.
Ms. Banerjee emphasised that the rights of citizenship of the people who came from East Pakistan before 1971, cannot be taken away.
"All those who came to India before 1971 are very much Indian citizens. They have their name on the voters' list, have ration cards and caste certificates," she added.
She said that Mamatabala Thakur, a leader from Matua community and a Trinamool Congress MP, visited Assam earlier this month to speak to members of Bengali community and assured that West Bengal will stand by Bengali-speaking people of Assam.
