Confusion over verification procedures and competing political claims leave thousands anxious about their citizenship status and voting rights.
Baby Chakraborty, KalimNews,November 28, 2025, Kolkata : The political environment in West Bengal has entered a tense and uncertain phase for the Matua community, following recent moves by the Election Commission of India (ECI). What was intended as an administrative exercise has turned into a politically charged storm, leaving the sizeable Matua electorate in districts such as Bangaon and Thakurnagar deeply anxious and directionless.
The Matuas, a Hindu community that migrated to India from Bangladesh after facing religious persecution, possess standard Indian identification documents—ration cards, PAN cards, Aadhaar cards and voter identity cards. However, the introduction of a new verification procedure under the Standard Operating Protocol for Special Summary Revision (widely referred to as SIR in political discourse) has caused widespread confusion. According to community members, merely having their names on the voter list is no longer sufficient; they are being asked to submit fresh proof of eligibility. Those unable to comply fear being pushed toward applying for citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), a process for which many lack the required documentation.
This uncertainty has generated an atmosphere of fear among the Matuas. Political parties have stepped into the vacuum, each attempting to shape the narrative for electoral advantage. Sections of the opposition accuse the verification process of threatening voting rights and stirring insecurity among refugees, with claims that individuals could be sent to detention centres. Meanwhile, others argue that citizenship under the CAA offers a pathway to securing rights, including voting privileges, although this assertion remains a point of political contention.
The ruling Trinamool Congress has consistently opposed the verification process, arguing that it disproportionately affects Hindu refugees from Bangladesh and risks creating fresh bureaucratic obstacles for long-settled communities. Against this backdrop, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee recently visited Thakurnagar, the cultural heartland of the Matua community, to reassure residents. Addressing a public gathering, she urged the community not to apply for citizenship under the CAA, reasoning that doing so would imply they are not yet citizens of India and could jeopardise their legal status. Her visit was widely interpreted as an attempt to consolidate support among the Matua electorate.
On the other hand, the Bharatiya Janata Party, which has long sought to court the Matua community, has intensified outreach efforts following the introduction of the verification process. Local BJP units have organised CAA facilitation camps, asserting that refugees will first receive citizenship and that their names will subsequently be secured in the voter rolls through proper procedures.
Caught between competing political claims and procedural uncertainty, members of the Matua community say they feel adrift. With neither side providing clarity that resolves their immediate fears, and with many lacking the documents required to navigate the new system, anxiety is rising as elections draw closer.
The unfolding situation underscores how administrative reforms can intersect sharply with political strategies, leaving vulnerable communities struggling to understand their rights and future in an environment of competing narratives.