The government in power first creates the arson and then presents itself as the firefighter: Carola E. Lorea

Anthropologist Carola E. Lorea, professor at the University of Tübingen, examines the Matua community’s displacement and its role in West Bengal’s election politics. The Matuas, originally from Bangladesh, faced forced evictions during the Sena dynasty and further displacement after Partition in 1947, when Namashudra families—mostly landless farmers and fishermen—were compelled to flee their homeland amid inter-religious tensions. The 1971 Liberation War of Bangladesh triggered another wave of displacement, leaving many Matua families homeless as their properties were confiscated under the Enemy Property Act. Lorea notes these events persist as unresolved wounds, shaping contemporary political dynamics in both India and Bangladesh. In Bangladesh, Matuas face accusations of non-belonging despite an estimated 9 to 10 million followers still living there. In West Bengal, the Matua community has become central to vote-bank politics, influencing election outcomes. The BJP’s recent landslide victory followed a controversial Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, which disenfranchised millions, including many Matuas. Lorea’s research, detailed in her book *Communities of Sound: Religion, Displacement, and Caste in the Bay of Bengal*, underscores their resilience amid systemic marginalization. The community’s identity remains fluid, shaped by historical displacements and political manipulation. While some Matuas migrated to states like Odisha, Uttarakhand, or the Andaman Islands, others remain in Bangladesh, facing ongoing estrangement due to citizenship disputes. Lorea argues that these displacements are not isolated events but part of a prolonged historical trauma affecting the community’s social and political standing today.