Kolkata, 15 November (H.S.).

Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, urging immediate exemption for the marginalised Matua community in West Bengal from the stringent documentation requirements under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. He also appealed for formal recognition of their citizenship rights.

Chowdhury visited the ongoing protest site at Thakurnagar on Thursday, responding to an invitation from the All India Matua Mahasangh. During his visit, he interacted with community members on hunger strike and said he was deeply moved by their fear, hardship and uncertainties regarding their future. He assured them of his full commitment to their fight for justice.

In his letter, the Congress MP highlighted that the Matua community migrated to India decades ago from erstwhile East Pakistan after severe persecution and displacement, and since then has been an integral part of India’s social and democratic framework. He noted that just as the Centre recently extended the cut-off date for persecuted minorities under the Citizenship Amendment Act from December 31, 2014 to December 31, 2024, similar humanitarian relief should be extended to the long-settled Matua community.

Chowdhury urged the government to promulgate an ordinance before the upcoming Winter Session to secure the community’s citizenship and protect their voting rights in both Assembly and Lok Sabha elections. He warned that the community, which has participated in elections for decades, now faces the unjust threat of disenfranchisement simply because many of them cannot produce 25-year-old documents — a demand he called unrealistic for a historically displaced and disadvantaged population.

Reaffirming his solidarity, he said his intervention seeks to uphold the dignity, security and full citizenship rights of the Matua people.

Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has opposed the SIR process being conducted in the state and 11 others, alleging that the Bharatiya Janata Party is using the exercise to manipulate electoral rolls by adding fake voters.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh