Senior Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to ease SIR norms for the Matua community in West Bengal. In his detailed letter, he said the Matuas cannot meet the tough documentation requirements under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
He stressed that many Matua families migrated from erstwhile East Pakistan after facing severe persecution. According to him, they never possessed the old documents that officials now demand. He warned that forcing them to meet these requirements creates fear and risks disenfranchisement. He repeated that the need to ease SIR norms is urgent because many names are missing from the 2002 voters’ list, the SIR base year.
Chowdhury also highlighted the recent hunger strike by the All India Matua Mahasangha. Members staged a fast-unto-death to draw attention to their uncertain future and the pressure created by the verification drive. He said the strike ended only because they hoped the government would listen.
He argued that the Matuas have voted for decades and produced elected representatives. Yet, citizenship assurances have not materialised. He urged the Centre to show sympathy, extend relief similar to the CAA amendments, and protect the community’s rights without fear or hardship.
