WEST BENGAL: Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited West Bengal on a two-day trip to begin his quest to campaign in Kolkata since Bihar elections are done and dusted. Mr Shah’s agenda for West Bengal seems to be perfectly laid out in his attempt to gain a vote of confidence from Adivasis and scheduled caste voters. The Home Minister had two lunches, one at an Adivasi household, another at a Matua (scheduled caste) home. Shah was quoted by The Quint saying that the “death knell had been rung for the Mamata Banerjee government”.
Shah started his visit by visiting Bankura district and paid a floral tribute to the statue of Birsa Munda, a tribal icon. He then went out to lunch with the Adivasis and relished a quintessential Bengali lunch that comprised rice, roti, dal, aloo post and five types of dried vegetables. The next day, he visited the Dakshineshwar Kali Temple, and met Bengali music maestro Ajoy Chakraborty, followed by lunch at a Matua household in Kolkata.
Critiquing Mamata Banerjee’s legislation and blockage of over 80 schemes by the central government that are meant for Dalits and adivasis, Amit Shah said, “In the state’s Adivasi sector like Bankura, neither has the money granted for their houses reached the people, nor have the 6,000 for farmers been granted to them. Every poor man is supposed to get 5 lakh rupees insurance, that has not reached them either.”
However, on the eve of Shah’s visit, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced land rights for 25,000 refugee families. Grants worth Rs 10 Cr and 5 Cr were announced for Matua Development Board and Namashudra Development Board respectively.
Matua is a sect of folk Hinduism without a chaturvarna system . The movement was launched as a reformation by the followers of Harichand Thakur. Born to a peasant family belonging to the Namahśūdras community, Thakur attained atmadarshan at an early age and would subsequently preach his Darshan in Twelve Directives. Namashudra, also known as Namassej or Namassut, is an avarna community originating from southern and central Bengal. The community was earlier known as Chandala or Chandal, a term usually considered as a slur. They were traditionally engaged in cultivation and as boatmen.
The population of these communities is now estimated to be around 3 crore in the state with the influence of six parliamentary seats. Hence they are the prime vote bank for politicians to win the state elections.
