Cooch Behar Citizenship Act exemption plea Greater Cooch Behar Peoples’ Association has been demanding a separate Cooch Behar state

Greater Cooch Behar Peoples’ Association leaders near the DM’s office on Wednesday. Picture by Main Uddin Chisti

TT, !9 December 2019, Cooch Behar: The Greater Cooch Behar Peoples’ Association organised a march here on Wednesday, demanding that Cooch Behar be exempted from the Citizenship Amendment Act.

The association that has considerable clout among the Rajbanshis has been demanding a separate Cooch Behar state. Cooch Behar was a princely state till 1949 when it merged with India.

Led by Bangshibadan Burman, the general secretary of the association, hundreds of people marched to the district magistrate’s office and submitted there a memorandum addressed to the Union home minister on the issue.

“We don’t want the CAA to be introduced in Cooch Behar and the surrounding areas as it is against the interests of the sons of soil. Further, as per the merger agreement signed between the Indian government and the then kings of Cooch Behar in 1949, the Centre cannot implement the CAA without consulting the residents,” said Burman.

Although the association has a stand similar to that of the Trinamul Congress on the CAA, Burman rooted for the National Register of Citizens.

“The chief minister is saying no to the CAA and the NRC because of her political compulsions. The central BJP government has come up with the CAA as it has different political interests. We don’t want to get into politics and would say it would be good if the NRC is taken up in Cooch Behar. The sons of the soil are gradually losing their identities and culture and so, we want the NRC here. We also demanded that the cut-off date for the NRC be 1952 and not 1971 as was done in Assam,” said Burman.

He is also an office-bearer in the development and cultural board for the community and the Rajbanshi Bhasa Academy, both formed by the Mamata Banerjee government.

In the memorandum, the association has reiterated its demand of the separate state.

“As per the merger agreement, Cooch Behar was supposed to be granted the status of a state or Union territory. However, it was made a district of Bengal. We oppose it and want the central government to follow the agreement and grant the right status to Cooch Behar,” said Burman.