Aunt versus nephew in Matua-dominated Bangaon

That a family feud can turn into a subject of rivalry between two political parties can be witnessed if someone visits Thakurnagar town in West Bengal.

Located close to the India-Bangladesh border, the town, about 63 km from Kolkata, in North 24 Parganas district falls under the Bangaon Lok Sabha seat, which is among the six constituencies in the state that is dominated by the Matua community.

It is for quite some time that the Matuas, a Schedule Caste community founded by Harichand-Guruchand Thakur, have been divided into two sections.

One section of the family supports sitting Trinamool Congress MP Mamata Bala Thakur, the widow of Kapil Krishna Thakur who is the son of Matua matriarch Binapani Devi, popularly knwon as Boroma.

The other section stands besides Manjul Krishna Thakur, the second son of Boroma and the father of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Shantanu Thakur.

The rift between them has widened after the death of Binapani Devi in March, says Barun Biswas, a resident of Chikanpara panchayat.

"The rift was there, but it started deteriorating slowly and slowly," Biswas says. "We never wanted that to happen. This is affecting the Matuas and the political parties are gaining on it."
"I do not know her and cannot recognise her. She is from Maharashtra not from Bengal," he says. "She is nobody of the Thakur bari (Thakur family). She is here illegally, forcefully and is enjoying every benefits."