The Bengal government is considering a proposal to form a development board for namasudras, representatives of the backward community claimed here after a meeting with chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday.
Community members said the Trinamul Congress could count on their support to take on the BJP in Assam in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls if the demand was met.
In Bengal, 98 per cent of namasudras are Matuas, who have traditionally supported Trinamul.
“We told the chief minister there are around 2.87 crore namasudras in Bengal. We requested her to constitute a development board for us. The board can help improve the socio-economic condition of our people as most of them are economically weak. The board can also work for the conservation of our culture,” said Mukul Bairagya, the working president of the All India Namasudra Bikash Parishad.
He claimed that Mamata had assured the representatives that their demand would be met. “She told us that she would initiate steps to set up the board at a cabinet meeting on November 5,” Bairagya said.
He alleged that namasudras had been kept out of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam. “We have launched protests on the issue and have also decided to field candidates in all 14 parliamentary seats in Assam,” he said, adding that the nominees might contest on Trinamul tickets.
