‘Bengal is also the home for Bengalis in Assam’, assured Mamata

November 16: “They (the Centre) are driving away Bengalis from Assam. In Gujarat they are trying to drive away Biharis. We never do this here in West Bengal. We have assured them (Bengalis in Assam) that we are beside them. They must not forget Bengal is also their home.” This was asserted by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday. She alleged that “dirty politics” is going on in the name of publication of the final draft of National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam as names of genuine voters have been struck off the list.

The Trinamool Congress supremo asserted that she was not against the Assam government, but she does not support NRC. She had accused the BJP of resorting to “divide and rule” politics in the country and the Narendra Modi government of trying to make millions of people “stateless” in Assam for political gains. Ms Banerjee had warned that stripping the people of their citizenship could lead to “bloodbath” and a “civil war” in the country. “We are not against Assam (government). But in the name of the NRC, lakhs of people have been kept out of the list. It is not a crime to speak in Bengali.” the chief minister said.

She was in Thakurnagar in West Bengal to participate in the birth centenary celebrations of Binapani Devi Thakur, known as ‘Boroma’, revered ‘mother’ of the Matua community. The community originally hailed from present-day Bangladesh and migrated to India over the past five decades. A delegation from the Matua community of Assam was present at the programme. A huge number of people of the Matua community did not find their names in the Assam NRC list.

She said that Matua community member and TMC MLA Mamata Thakur, and seven other party leaders were not allowed to leave Silchar airport in Assam when they had gone there after the publication of the final draft of NRC. Asserting that many people from erstwhile East Pakistan had come to India as refugees, she said, “All those who came to India before 1971 are very much Indian citizens. They have their name on the voters’ list, have ration cards and caste certificates.” “You are an Indian citizen and that is your identity. It cannot be taken away from you. Those trying to snatch it are doing a wrong thing,” she added.

The final draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam was released on 30 July, with names of 40, 07,707 persons excluded from the list. Out of the 3.29 crore people who had filled their applications for the NRC, 2.89 crore found their names in the draft list. This final draft of the NRC in Assam emerged, provoking both passionate support and outrage.