The publication of draft electoral rolls in West Bengal has triggered significant anxiety within the Matua community, with over 1.3 lakh voters across four assembly constituencies in North 24 Parganas district likely to receive notices for hearings. The issue stems from a lack of proper progeny mapping, where the names of parents or grandparents of these voters could not be traced in historical electoral lists, despite many individuals having been voters themselves since 2002 or 2025.
Citizenship Certificates Offer a Glimmer of Hope
According to district-level election officials, a small section of these voters, roughly 15% to 20%, may have a chance to resolve their status. This group includes individuals like Pramatha Nath Biswas, a retired central government employee from Helencha in Bagda, who migrated from Bangladesh's Gopalganj in 2009. Biswas successfully obtained his citizenship certificate in November after applying under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
However, his relief is not universal. Many of his neighbours, despite receiving SMS alerts from the Union Home Ministry confirming their certificates were issued, remain worried about timely physical delivery. This uncertainty has driven thousands to seek updates at citizenship camps organized by the BJP-aligned All India Matua Mahasangha.
The Daunting Challenge of Missing Documents
The majority of those flagged, however, have not applied under the CAA and face a more daunting challenge. They lack the documents prescribed by the Election Commission for the hearings. Subodh Biswas, a resident of Thakurnagar, voiced a common concern, stating they do not possess even one of the 11 documents listed by the EC.
Community leader Swapan Gosai highlighted the paradox of long-term voters now facing exclusion. "We have been voting for 15 years. We have EPICs and Aadhaar cards and voted in the last Lok Sabha election as well. If summoned, we will not be able to produce any document," he said.
Political Accusations and Community Fear
Sukesh Chowdhury, secretary of the TMC-led faction of the Matua Mahasangha, warned that failure to produce documents during hearings would lead to names being struck off. He accused the system of creating fear, as people remain unaware whose names are marked as 'doubtful' until official notices arrive.
The BJP-aligned faction's general secretary, Sukhen Gayen, rejected claims of targeting, stating the 'doubtful voter' category was not community-specific. He expressed confidence that the Prime Minister and Union Home Minister would take appropriate steps.
The scrutiny extends beyond the Matua community. The Bongaon subdivision also has 4,82,207 "progeny voters"—those who enrolled citing parents or relatives as references. In line with statewide trends, the EC has marked nearly half of these as "suspect."
With an estimated 45% of voters in the subdivision belonging to the Matua community, the Trinamool Congress's long-standing claim that Matuas would be worst-hit by the Summary Revision of Rolls (SRR) appears to be materializing, leaving a substantial population in a state of apprehension about their fundamental democratic right.
