Matua Community

• 23 May 2024

Source: HT

The Matua community of West Bengal has been demanding the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019.

• The Matuas are a depressed class of Bengali Hindus who are part of the Scheduled Caste group of Bengal. Millions of Matuas have migrated to India before and after the 1971 war that created Bangladesh, fleeing religious persecution.
• The Namasudras (Matuas) constitute 17.4% of the total Scheduled Caste (SC) population in West Bengal, making them the second-largest group after the Rajbanshis in North Bengal.
• Harichand Thakur, a social reformer, is considered the founder of the Matua Mahasangha, a federation representing the Matua community.
  • It opposed caste oppression and work towards education and social upliftment of Dalits.

Read more: Citizenship Amendment Act: Unpacked