In West Bengal, a group of 12 Hindu families from Bangladesh have finally been given Indian citizenship after living in the country for years without legal status. Their papers were handed out under the Citizenship Amendment Act, ending a long period of insecurity for people who say they crossed the border decades ago to escape targeted violence in East Bengal.
Several of these families recalled that their departure had been abrupt — a hurried journey with none of their belongings and no official documents. Once in West Bengal, they tried to rebuild their lives, but the absence of citizenship meant they remained cut off from basic services, formal employment and travel documents. Many said they were repeatedly asked to produce records from before 1971, something they simply did not have. Political friction in the state only prolonged their uncertainty.
The process began to shift after the Centre put the CAA rules into effect earlier this year. Applications that had been stalled for years finally began to move. Among the communities watching the development closely were the Matuas and other Hindu refugee groups whose histories go back to Partition and its aftermath. In neighbourhoods such as Thakurbari, families spoke of spending decades without a single piece of paper linking them to the country they considered home. The new certificates, they said, bring a sense of security they had never known.
Over the last two months, BJP-run help desks and camps in border districts like Nadia and Cooch Behar assisted thousands of applicants in completing their forms and gathering whatever records they could. Families who once feared they might be removed from the country now say they can see a path ahead.
The timing of the development has added to the political churn in the state. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee recently visited Thakurbari, assuring the Matua community of her support and issuing a strongly worded warning against any attempts to intimidate them. But the distribution of citizenship certificates has shifted the political mood, especially among those who say they felt trapped between competing claims and promises. Many now say their doubts have eased and their confidence in the central government has increased.
BJP leaders, including the party’s IT cell chief Amit Malviya, framed the decision as the end of a prolonged struggle. He accused the state government of blocking citizenship for Hindu refugees for political gain and argued that the CAA offers overdue protection to persecuted minorities while drawing a distinction between refugees and illegal entrants. Party leaders also accused the TMC of encouraging unlawful migration for electoral advantage — a charge the ruling party has denied.
For the 12 families who finally received their documents this week, the paperwork represents far more than administrative closure. They describe it as the first time in decades that they can think about a stable future — applying for regular jobs, securing a home, and planning education for their children without the constant fear of being uprooted again. After years spent in limbo, they say they can at last claim to belong.
