Kolkata, March 5 (UNI) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday, on the death anniversary of Binapani Devi, popularly known as Boroma, assured the Matua community that her government would not allow any injustice against them and would fight attempts to deprive them of their rights.
The chief minister, while paying tribute to Boroma through a social media post, also accused the BJP-led central government of creating confusion and uncertainty among Matua voters by allegedly removing their names from the electoral rolls during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR).
Her remarks come amid allegations that nearly 63 lakhs names have been deleted from the final voter list released recently by the Election Commission, with several people from the Matua community in districts such as North 24 Parganas and Nadia reportedly affected.
Many names have also been placed in the “under consideration” category, triggering anxiety among community members over their citizenship status.
In her message, Banerjee paid rich tribute to Boroma and highlighted the contribution of the Matua Mahasangha to social reform in Bengal.
Referring to the legacy of Harichand Thakur and Guruchand Thakur, she said the movement led by them played a key role in protecting the rights of Dalits and marginalised people and in promoting education and an egalitarian society.
“Following the path shown by Harichand Thakur and Guruchand Thakur, the Matua Mahasangha has been an inseparable part of Bengal’s social reform and renaissance. Boroma cherished these ideals throughout her life and under her leadership the organisation became a pillar of social equality and brotherhood,” Banerjee wrote.
The chief minister also recalled her personal bond with Boroma, saying, “My relationship with Boroma was personal and spiritual. I received her motherly affection closely — that is one of the greatest blessings of my life. Whenever she called me for any need, including medical treatment, I rushed to her. It is a matter of pride that our government honoured her with the state’s highest award, Banga Bibhushan, for her immense social contribution.”
Banerjee also listed several welfare and development initiatives undertaken by the state government for the Matua community, including the formation of the Matua Development Board and the Namasudra Development Board.
She noted that a government holiday had been declared on the birth anniversary of Harichand Thakur.
The chief minister further mentioned the establishment of the Harichand-Guruchand University at Thakurnagar and the upcoming extension campus at Krishnanagar, along with the P.R. Thakur Government College at Gaighata.
She also highlighted infrastructure projects such as the Jaltripti drinking water project, bridges over the Ichamati river and Baldenghata canal, as well as new ITI and Polytechnic colleges and a farmers’ mandi in Gaighata. According to her, Thakurnagar has also undergone major development.
However, Banerjee strongly criticised the alleged deletion of Matua voters’ names from the electoral rolls.
“It is extremely unfortunate that due to the conspiracy of the BJP-led central government, our Matua brothers and sisters have been pushed into a situation of instability and confusion. Politics is being played in the name of granting citizenship, and even their identity is being questioned,” she said.
She further alleged that the SIR process was being used to deliberately remove their names from the voter list.
“Those who have been citizens of this country for generations, whose votes elect governments, are now being pushed into uncertainty in the name of granting them citizenship again,” she said.
The chief minister asserted that such actions would not be accepted. “We will not accept this injustice. Our struggle will continue against any attempt to snatch away the rights of my Matua brothers and sisters and the people of Bengal. We will not allow any harm to come to the people of Bengal,” she added.
