Matua matriarch Boroma's last rites performed with full state honours

Kolkata: Thousands of devotees bade a tearful farewell to Matua matriarch Binapani Devi, fondly known as Boroma, on Friday.

She was cremated with full state honours at the Matua headquarters at Thakurnagar in North 24-Parganas on Friday afternoon. She died at SSKM Hospital on March 5 at the age of 102.

The mortal remains of Boroma were kept at the Matua Mahasangha from Wednesday morning so that the devotees could pay their last respect to their guru. The devotees from all over the country stood in long queues to have a last glimpse of Boroma. On Thursday morning, her mortal remains were taken to a nearby church and then to three temples at Thakurnagar which have been constructed in the memory of Pramodaranjan Thakur, her late husband and the head of the Matua community. She was kept at the main temple at the headquarters before being cremated. Manjulkrishna Thakur, her son, lighted the sacred pyre.

Binapani Devi, who was accorded a state funeral as directed by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, held huge sway over the Dalit community, which migrated in large numbers from Bangladesh (then East Pakistan) after Partition.

There were initial differences between two groups — one led by Mamatabala Thakur, Boroma's daughter-in-law and Trinamool Congress MP and Shantanu Thakur, son of Manjulkrishna, who now had BJP allegiance.

Elaborate police arrangements were in place to help the thousands of devotees who thronged the area to attend the funeral. Jyotipriya Mallick, the state Food minister and Sujit Bose, Minister of State for Fire and Emergency Services, were present during the funeral.

Mallick said a difference had cropped up at the Matua headquarters. "This is uncalled for and this has taken place due to the BJP. We visit the Matua headquarters always as a devotee and never as a Trinamool Congress functionary. There should not be any politics over Boroma as she was like a goddess and above all political differences," he said.