Matuas are all citizens of this country, no proof required: CM
Bongaon: Trinamool Congress chairperson Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday made a historic announcement on Wednesday stating that all Matuas are the citizens of this country and there is no need to furnish fresh certificates to establish the same.
She also announced a state government holiday every year on the birth anniversary of Matua community founders Harichand Thakur and Guruchand Thakur.
"As the Chief Minister of Bengal, I am saying that all Matuas are the citizens of this country. So there is no need to give a fresh certificate," Banerjee said while addressing a mammoth rally at Bongaon in North 24-Parganas, bordering Bangladesh, after once again clearly stating that implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the National Population Register (NPR) will not be allowed in the state.
Accusing the BJP-led government of practising divisive politics and attempting to cheat people in the name of Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), the Trinamool Congress supremo said: "If it (NRC and NPR) once starts, then they will throw you out if you cannot produce birth certificates of your forefathers. Our state government has given you the right as a citizen. We have regulated all refugee colonies (94 on state's land and 250 on Centre's and private holdings) and it is the state government that decides who will live in the state and not the Centre. So we will not allow NRC, NPR and CAA. Those who stay in Bengal, not the outsider 'goondas', all are like members of our own family. But the BJP is trying to throw out people of the state and turn it into Gujarat. We will not let that happen."
Alleging that BJP and RSS are bringing in "goondas" from outside, she urged people to lodge an FIR with the police or go to the local party office of the Trinamool Congress in case they find any outsider in their area.
Banerjee said all the demands of the Matua community have been addressed and stated that the work of setting up the Harichand Guruchand Thakur University has already begun, life and work of the community's founders have already been incorporated in the school curriculum, the process of getting SC, ST and OBC certificates has already been simplified as now it is being provided at a minimum possible time against a valid document of anyone from the family. Last but not the least, a holiday has been announced on the birth anniversary of the community's founders (April 9 in 2021).
