2,000 people gathered at Plassey to protest against Centre’s citizenship matrix - villagers cutting across political lines had formed the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Manch

While people like Kamaluddin want the CAA to be scrapped, the BJP in Bengal is facing pressure from the Matuas, lower-caste Hindu immigrants from Bangladesh, to implement it

Leaders of the forum against the CAA at the venue of the protest in Plassey on Monday.

Pranab Debnath

Subhasish Chaudhuri   |   TT   |   Plassey   |    26.01.21  ; Around 2,000 people gathered in Nadia’s Plassey on Monday to raise their voice against the Centre’s citizenship matrix, the protest coming in the backdrop of Union home minister Amit Shah’s visit to the state later this week and the growing demand among Matuas for the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act.

A large number of villagers cutting across political lines had formed the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Manch last year to hold continuous demonstration in Plassey’s Phulbagan against the CAA and express solidarity with the protest in New Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh.

The Phulbagan protest had to be withdrawn following the outbreak of Covid-19 last year. However, the protesters returned to the same place on Monday to iterate their demand of scrapping the CAA as well as the National Population Register (NPR).

“On January 25 last year, we had launched the sit-in demonstration similar to the one at Shaheen Bagh. But the pandemic compelled us to suspend it. Today a year later, we are far from reaching our goal of complete and unconditional withdrawal of the controversial citizenship matrix. On the anniversary of the launch of our demonstration, we have come back to the venue to protest against the act as it appears the Centre is on the verge of implementing the CAA before the Assembly polls,” said Kamaluddin Sekh, a member of the platform.

While people like Kamaluddin want the CAA to be scrapped, the BJP in Bengal is facing pressure from the Matuas, lower-caste Hindu immigrants from Bangladesh, to implement it. However, Shah, while addressing a rally in Assam on Sunday, did not utter a word on implementing the citizenship matrix and is scheduled to visit the Matua stronghold of Thakurnagar in North 24-Parganas on January 30.

Last year, nearly 2,000 people had begun the demonstration in Plassey, close to the historical mango orchard in the township where the battle against the British was fought 263 years ago.

Barely a few kilometres away from the Plassey battleground, where the last independent ruler of Bengal Siraj-Ud-Daulah fought with the British force, Kamal, Salim, Sabia, Swapan, Obiadulla and many like them who took part in last year’s demonstration, joined the day-long protest on Monday.

Kamaluddin said: “Shaheen Bagh was a pioneering model of protest against the CAA. We held it in Plassey that reminds us of the courage and determination of Siraj-Ud-Daulah to prevent the British East India Company from ruling Bengal.”

Speaking at the meeting on Monday, social worker Mahiuddin Mannan said: “We have returned with our protest to respect our historical legacy. Since Covid has had a huge financial impact on our lives, we are not in a position to continue with the demonstration right now. At the same time, we will take to the streets if the Centre tries to impose the citizenship act.”

CPM leader Ainul Haque said: “The Centre should scrap the act and provide citizenship to all based on documents such as voter card and Aadhaar.”

Trinamul leader Gulam Kibria Seikh echoed chief minister Mamata Banerjee and said the matrix would not be implemented in Bengal.