Modi, Mamata pay homage to spiritual guru of Matua community on birth anniversary

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday paid homage to Sri Sri Harichand Thakur, the spiritual guru of the backward but politically significant Matua community of the state, on his 212th birth anniversary.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday paid homage to Sri Sri Harichand Thakur, the spiritual guru of the backward but politically significant Matua community of the state, on his 212th birth anniversary. Union Home Minister Amit Shah also greeted the community on the occasion of Matua Maha Mela, being organised to celebrate the occasion. The members of the community had migrated to India from erstwhile East Pakistan, which later became Bangladesh, after partition. ''I bow to Sri Sri Harichand Thakur Ji on his Jayanti. His role in removing inequality and furthering harmony remain unparalleled,'' Modi said in a tweet.

''He (Thakur) emphasised on social justice and worked to further education among people. We will keep working to fulfil his ideals,'' the prime minister said.

Taking to Twitter, Banerjee called for working towards a society free from divisive ideas. ''Today, on his birth anniversary, I pay homage to the great Sri Sri Harichand Thakur. Dedicating his life to educating and uplifting the marginalised, he set a precedent for all of us. Let us take a pledge to work towards an egalitarian society that's free of divisive ideas,'' Banerjee said. Shah hoped that the festival will inspire people with the wisdom of Sri Sri Harichand Thakur. ''With a vibrant display of the heritage of the Matua community, the #MatuaMahaMela2023 begins today. My warmest wishes to the pilgrims of the religious festival," he tweeted. The mela, organised by the All India Matua Mahasangha, has been estimated to be visited by around 45 lakh people during the week to seek the blessings of the sect's founder. Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal on Saturday visited the mela at Thakurnagar in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal. A politically significant community, the Matuas are split into the BJP and TMC camps.

With an estimated 30 lakh Matuas in the state, the community has its influence in at least five Lok Sabha seats and nearly 50 assembly seats in Nadia, North and South 24 Parganas districts. Members of the Matua community, who make for a large chunk of the state's Scheduled Caste population, had been migrating to West Bengal since the 1950s, primarily due to religious persecution in erstwhile East Pakistan and then Bangladesh.

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