Matuas to stop trusting BJP if CAA not implemented soon: Community leaders

Days after the Centre decided to grant citizenship to a section of people who came from a neighbouring country and settled in Gujarat, Matua community members in Bengal said they would stop trusting the BJP if similar benefit was not provided to them.

Leaders of the community said they will hit the streets if their demand for citizenship was not met with.

“We are hopeful that citizenship will also be granted to us soon, but if that doesnt happen, Matuas will be hitting the streets in protest,” said Mukut Moni Adhikari, a senior leader of All India Matua Mahasangha.

Matuas, who make up for a large chunk of the states Scheduled Caste population, had been migrating to West Bengal from Bangladesh since the 1950s, ostensibly due to religious persecution. All those who migrated till March 1971 are legal citizens of India, according to the 1955 citizenship act. The ones who came after 1971 have to apply for naturalization after a stay of seven years, according to the provisions of the act. The Centre recently decided to grant Indian citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians who left Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan and settled in two districts of Gujarat, under the Citizenship Act, 1955.

The Matuas, however, have been promised citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act of 2019.

“We are aware that citizenship is being granted in Gujarat under 1955 Act. We want CAA 2019 to be implemented too as early as possible,” Adhikari told

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Federal staff and is auto-published from a syndicated feed.)