• Source:JND
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In what the BJP described as damage control after the controversy around President Draupadi Murmu’s recent Bengal visit, the Chief Minister of Mamata Banerjee has announced the formation of five cultural and development boards for various Adivasis, Dalit Communities and the Backward classes.

This comes in line with 20 similar existing boards for several communities. The boards would be established for people from the Munda (Scheduled Tribe), Kora (ST), Dom (Scheduled Caste), Kumbhakar (Other Backwards Class), and Sadgope (OBC) communities. These join more than 20 such boards established for various communities in the state.

Criticising the move as political, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said that the announcement has been made with coming state elections in mind. And that these boards too would not serve the respective communities like the existing boards.

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“I am pleased to announce that our government intends to constitute five new Cultural and Development Boards for the Munda (ST), Kora (ST), Dom (SC), Kumbhakar (OBC), and Sadgope (OBC) communities. These communities are integral to the vibrant fabric of Bengal. My heartiest congratulations to all of them,” Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee posted on X on Friday.

CM further informed through the X post that the proposed boards would protect the unique languages and traditions of communities while ensuring that they receive better education, healthcare, and jobs.

BJP said that the state government made the announcement to damage control after the controversy around President Murmu’s Siliguri visit, as she asked why the CM and her ministers were not present to receive the President as per protocol and inquired why the venue of the Santhal Community’s event was suddenly changed. The centre had also sought a report from the State Secretary over the alleged protocol violation during the President’s visit by making a change in her route.

Why Community Welfare Boards Are Politically Significant

The formation of SC, ST and OBC welfare development boards is rooted in Bengal’s identity politics, which came into existence in the last years of the left government. People started to mobilise around their identity to raise their demand after the Left government started to push industrialisation in Bengal, which resulted in the fall of the Left government in Bengal.

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After replacing Left in the state, Mamata not only bet on identity politics but also kept up with it. Identity politics is deeply rooted in Bengal politics, prompting all the political parties to engage. Similar to TMC, the BJP has also fielded candidates from the Thakur family of Matuas in elections over the years and one of its members, Shantanu Thakur, is the current Union MoS for Ports, Shipping, and Waterways.


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