Matua matriarch Binapani Devi passed away at a Kolkata hospital on Tuesday evening. Her last rites will be held on Wednesday. Six state ministers have been assigned responsibility to ensure the last rites arrangements go well, and the funeral will be held with full state honours.
Chief minister Mamata Banerjee went to the hospital twice on Tuesday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president Amit Shah tweeted condolence messages on Tuesday.
Who are the Matuas and why do they wield so much power politically?
The Matuas are a Hindu sect, primarily Namashudra group of people who are followers of Harichand Thakur and Guruchand Thakur. The followers have huge influence over several Lok Sabha seats in North 24 Parganas and Nadia districts of south Bengal.
Thakurnagar is the hub of the Matua community. The Matuas came to Bengal from the erstwhile East Pakistan during the 1950s chiefly due to religious persecution. With such a huge number of people from the Matua community – over 70 lakh people – the Left and the Trinamool have been wooing the community for years (and recently the BJP too).
Boroma has been a unifying force for the community. And it was in 2006, that the Matua community came out and stood in support of Trinamool Congress candidate Sougata Roy for the Bongaon Assembly byelections, defeating the CPI(M) candidate.
For the welfare of the community, Boroma has pledged her support to political parties, but over a period of time the association of the Matuas with mainstream political parties has grown rather complex.
At the moment, the Matua Mahasangha, known as the Thakurbari – has divided political loyalties. Members of Boroma’s family have become state ministers and parliamentarians. Boroma’s daughter-in-law Mamatabala Devi is a Trinamool Congress MP, while Boroma’s grandson, Subrata Thakur has joined the BJP.
Condolence messages on Twitter
On February 1, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had called on Boroma at her Thakurnagar residence. After her death yesterday, PM Modi tweeted:
“Boro Ma Binapani Thakur was an icon of our times. A source of great strength and inspiration for several people, Boro Ma’s rich ideals will continue to influence generations. Her emphasis on social justice and harmony will never be forgotten.”
He also tweeted a photograph of his meeting with Boroma and added: “Last month, I had the honour of seeking the blessings of Boro Ma Binapani Thakur at Thakurnagar. I will always cherish the interaction I had with her. We stand in solidarity with the Matua community in this hour of sadness.”
BJP national president Amit Shah too tweeted: “Anguished to learn about the demise of Matua matriarch ‘Boro Ma’ Binapani Devi. Her passing away is an irreparable loss to the entire society. She will always be remembered for her unparalleled humanitarian work. My condolences with the Matua community & her countless followers.”
Chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who has a long association with Boroma’s family tweeted: “I am deeply pained at passing away of Matua matriarch Boro Ma Binapani Thakur. My condolences to her family & my brothers & sisters of Matua Community at this moment of grief. It was a great opportunity for me to meet Boro Ma last November, on the centenary of her birthday.”
She also wrote: “After overseeing arrangements I just left the hospital. 6 senior ministers there to take care of the last rites. She will be accorded state-funeral with gun salute tomorrow. We are proud to have conferred Banga Bibhusan on Boro Ma. May her soul rest in peace.”
A place for seeking political patronage no more
The Matuas have given support to political parties for the welfare of the community, though their primary aim has always been social service. In fact, Binapani Devi had blessed all those who came to her, but there was no open rallying for any particular political party in the past few years. And now, with her death, for one, the political patronage for many politicians will no longer be there. And more, for the Matuas there may not be a single, unified voice rallying behind one political party in the coming days.
