Palash Biswas
http://youtu.be/jDa_V8XBCdw
BAMCEF UNIFICATION CONFERENCE 11
Published on 11 Mar 2013OPENNING PHOTO OF ADARTIRTHA HARICHAND THAKUR BY MASTER MAN SHINGH IN ALL INDIA BAMCEF UNIFICATION CONFERENCE HELD AT Dr.B.R. AMBEDKAR BHAVAN,DADAR,MUMBAI ON 2ND AND 3RD MARCH 2013
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We have celebrated the bicentenary anniversary of Harichand Tahkur who led Indigo Revolt and revolted against Brahaminical system with Matua Movement.In Mumbai, Bamcef Unification conference on 2nd and 3rd march was dedicated to the great peasant leader of India.Harichand Thakur, sometimes known as Sri Sri Harichand Thakur, was a social reformer in Bengal. He worked among thesubaltern population.Later people from all sections, irrespective of caste and creed or religion joined him to make it a great success. Whether Catholic Missionaries or The Hindus or The followers of Brahmoism, all acknowledged his great contribution in the Bengal Renaissance among the poor and marginalised people. He started his mission with a view to spread education and create self-respect among these people and at the same time he insisted for removing of all kinds of social bashing which is a curse in Indian society.
एकीकृत बामसेफ का लक्ष्य: हम अंबेडकर विचारधारा के मुताबिक देश की उत्पादक व सामाजिक शक्तियों के साझा मंच से इस देश की बहिष्कृत निनानब्वे फीसद जनगण के डिजिटल बायोमेट्रिक कत्लेआम के लिए आर्थिक सुधारों के नाम जारी अश्वमेध अभियान के खिलाफ अविलंब राष्ट्रव्यापी आंदोलन शुरु करने के लिए कोशिश कर रहे हैं, जो सबसे अहम है।
Thus,Celebrate d200 th Anniversary of Harichand Thakur who launched ANTI Untouchability Movement in India for the First Time and later his son Guruchand Thakur launched the Famous Chandal Andolan which Abolished untouchabilty in Bengal even before Ambedkaremerged to lead us.Untouchability is not only the result of Manusmriti based caste system, but it is Indian version of racial discrimination thrust upon the aborigin indigenous nature associated communities by the foreign rooted racial supremacy now known as zionist Brahaminical monopolistic imperialist corporate hegemony.
Harichand Thakur led Anti Brahaminical movement with MATUA Religion rejecting the Brahamin dharma. The crisis is that Matua religion is no more Ant Brahamin and it is BRAHAMINISED nullifying the great achievement and Heritage of harichand Guruchand Thakur. Harichand Thakur was a NAMOSHUDRA but he is projected as MAITHILI Brahamin and the Incarnation of Vishnu! We must resist this! For Matua Movement, personalities like Jogendra Nath Mandal and Mukund Behari Mallick could Succeed DR BR Ambedkar get elected for Constitution assembly! We must NOT allow the Movement to be Hijacked by the Brahaminical Hegemony!
He was one of six sons of Namasudra or Namassej (then called Chandala) peasant family that was thought to be belong to the Gautama clan (later, the community members agreed to be identified as belonging to Kasyapa clan; in the different census reports of nineteenth century the Namasudras were found to identifying themselves as belonging to four different clans or gotras). Born in 1812 at Safaldanga, Gopalgaunge, his birthname was Sri Harichand Biswas. He moved to Odakandi, Faridpur. At a very early age he accepted the path of religious reformation for giving service to and uplifting the subaltern people of Bengal. He experienced atmadarshan (self-realisation) and preached his ideologies and religious philosophy in twelve commandments and asked his followers to pursue his works. He established Matua Mahasangha.
http://sphotos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/c0.0.403.403/p403x403/482451_544713798893379_781008864_n.jpg
Married with one son, Guruchand Thakur, Thakur died at Odakandi in 1877. His son has been the leader of the awakening of namasudra people.
We have been entrusted to draft a document which will help in creating a mechanism for avoiding split in the organization, diversion of funds, haphazardly removal of activists and so on at the 2 day Unification Conference. As you are aware we are short of time and the same should have been used for more constructive work but it is unfortunate that we have to complete this unavoidable task. So kindly circulate your free and frank suggestions, draft, documents, ideas so that we can complete the job well within the time frame of not more than 02 months. The List of co-ordination adhoc committee members is as follows :
| NAME | MOBILE NUMBER | e-mail address |
| Mr. Jyotinath Kushawah – Hajipur Bihar | 9471008004 | prabhashbeejbhandar@gmail.com / jyotisaro@gmail.com |
| Mr. Palash Biswas - Kolkata | 9903717833 | palashbiswaskl@gmail.com |
| Mr. Chamanlal - Saharanpur | 9452009503 | chamanlal_moolnivasi@yahoo.com |
| Mr. Abhiram Mallick – BBSR, Orrisa | 9437890720 | abhirammallick72@gmail.com |
| Mr. Bhaskar Wakde – Chandrapur, Mah. | 9850729521 | ------ |
| Mr. Kokan Mitra - Kolkata | 9433124989 | --------- |
| Mr. Ravji Patel – Balsad, Gujrat | 9426872677 | Patelrajnish319@gmail.com |
| Mr. Abdul Shukoor - Bangalore | 9538326610 | ashukoor42@yahoo.in |
| Mr. S.K. Barve - Mumbai | 9869056811 | tathagat1412@gmail.com / barves@bharatpetroleum.in |
| Mr. Sarnath Gaikawad | 9021898941 | sarnathgaikwad14@gmail.com |
| Mr. Tappen Mandal - Kolkatta | 9434040728 | tapanmandal57@gmail.com |
সম্পূর্ণ তথ্য জানার জন্য যোগাযোগ করুণঃ
LT COL SIDDARTH BARVE
9869056811 022-24117888 / 24178481 022-24117888
ALL INDIA BAMCEF UNIFICATION CONFERENCE HELD AT Dr.B. R. AMBEDKAR BHAVAN,DADAR,MUMBAI ON 2ND AND 3RD MARCH 2013. Mr.PALASH BISWAS (JOURNALIST -KOLKATA) DELIVERING HIS SPEECH.
BAMCEF UNIFICATION CONFERENCE 7
Published on 10 Mar 2013
ALL INDIA BAMCEF UNIFICATION CONFERENCE HELD AT Dr.B. R. AMBEDKAR BHAVAN,DADAR,MUMBAI ON 2ND AND 3RD MARCH 2013. Mr.PALASH BISWAS (JOURNALIST -KOLKATA) DELIVERING HIS SPEECH.
http://youtu.be/oLL-n6MrcoM
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BAMCEF UNIFICATION CONFERENCE 3
Published on 5 Mar 2013
ALL INDIA BAMCEF UNIFICATION CONFERENCE HELD AT Dr.B.R. AMBEDKAR BHAVAN,DADAR,MUMBAI ON 2ND AND 3RD MARCH 2013.
Mr.B.D.BORKAR EX PRECEDENT OF BAMCEF DELIVERING HIS SPEECH.
http://youtu.be/ycMDJnrijqM
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BAMCEF UNIFICATION CONFERENCE 2
Published on 5 Mar 2013
ALL INDIA BAMCEF UNIFICATION CONFERENCE HELD AT Dr.B.R. AMBEDKAR BHAVAN,DADAR,MUMBAI ON 2ND AND 3RD MARCH 2013.
Mr.CHAMANLALEX CEC MEMBER OF BAMCEF DELIVERING HIS SPEECH.
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BAMCEF UNIFICATION CONFERENCE 9
Published on 10 Mar 2013
ALL INDIA BAMCEF UNIFICATION CONFERENCE HELD AT Dr.B. R. AMBEDKAR BHAVAN,DADAR,MUMBAI ON 2ND AND 3RD MARCH 2013. Mrs. SHIBANI BISWAS (BAMCEF ACTIVIST)DELIVERING HER SPEECH.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QNMum9PXB0
BAMCEF UNIFICATION CONFERENCE 4
Published on 8 Mar 2013
ALL INDIA BAMCEF UNIFICATION CONFERENCE HELD AT Dr.B.R. AMBEDKAR BHABAN,DADAR,MUMBAI ON 2ND AND 3RD MARCH 2013. Mr.TARARAM MEHANA (BAMCEF PRESIDENT) DELIVERING HIS SPEECH.
http://youtu.be/CZSX3YZ65pY
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BAMCEF UNIFICATION CONFERENCE 10
Published on 10 Mar 2013
ALL INDIA BAMCEF UNIFICATION CONFERENCE HELD AT Dr.B. R. AMBEDKAR BHAVAN,DADAR,MUMBAI ON 2ND AND 3RD MARCH 2013. Mr.ABHIRAM MALLICK,(BAMCEF FULL TIMER -URISSA ) DELIVERING HER SPEECH.
http://youtu.be/G1NW7WWY55I
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BAMCEF UNIFICATION CONFERENCE 8
Published on 10 Mar 2013
ALL INDIA BAMCEF UNIFICATION CONFERENCE HELD AT Dr.B. R. AMBEDKAR BHAVAN,DADAR,MUMBAI ON 2ND AND 3RD MARCH 2013. Mr.JYOTINATH KUSHAWAG (BAMCEF ACTIVIST -BIHAR) DELIVERING HER SPEECH.
http://youtu.be/bPBZfReKqU4
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BAMCEF UNIFICATION CONFERENCE 1
Published on 5 Mar 2013
ALL INDIA BAMCEF UNIFICATION CONFERENCE WAS HELD AT AMBEDr.B.R. DKAR BHAVAN ,DADAR,MUMBAI ON 2ND AND 3RD MARCH 2013.
SUBACHAN RAM DELEVERING HIS SPEECH.
http://youtu.be/AHllbX4QrjU
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BAMCEF UNIFICATION CONFERENCE 12
Published on Mar 13, 2013ALL INDIA BAMCEF UNIFICATION CONFERENCE HELD AT Dr.B.R. AMBEDKAR BHAVAN,DADAR,MUMBAI ON 2ND AND 3RD MARCH 2013. Mr. AMBADE (Sr. ACTIVIST BAMCEF-NAGPUR) DELIVERING HIS SPEECH.
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Periyarism is dead in Tamil Nadu as Matua Antibrahaminical Movement is Digested in Bengal!The followers of Matua and NAMOSHUDRA Movement and DR Ambedkar were EJECTED out from their Homelnad and Scattered countrywide and made DEPRIVED of Citizenship, Reservation, Mother Tongue, Civic and Human Rights. Bengali SC OBC refugees were resettled in Tribal areas countrywide and Brahamins pitted SC OBC Bengalies and later the Tamil Refugees following Periyarism Anti Brahamin against the MOST Militant ST Communities. Only in the FIVE States ANDHRA, MAHARASHTRA,MP, ORRISSA and CHHATISHGARG no less than TWENTY MILLION Bengali SC OBC Refugees are Resettled in Tribal areas. Now, under OPERATION AMAZON undeclared, all the Natural resources and Mines and Minerals, water and Land have to be handed over to India Incs and MNCs, systematically MAOIST Menace Inflicted in the ABORIGINAL Humanscape to accomplish the agenda of EXODUS, Holocaust and Military ACTIONS. Only in CHHATISHGARGH THREE Hundred Sixty Thousnad bengali refugees mostly NAMOSHUDRA have been resettled under Dandakarany Project! In Malkangiri and navrangpur distrcists of ORRISSA, HUNDREDS of Bengali Colonies are established under the same Project. Garchiroli, CHANDRAPUR and GONDIA districts in Maharashtra, Shadaul, Panna and Baitul districts in M.P. have refugeee colnies and so the ADILABAD Subdivision of ANDHRA undre Dandakarany Project! Mind you, these seettlements are PURELY Refugee Settlements and the so called Illegal bangladeshi Migrants concentrate in mostly Bengal and METRO cities of India. But the Deportion DRIVE is launched in DANDAKARNYA States to clear decks for FREE and INDISCRIMINATE land Acquisition for Urbanisation, Industrialisation, Infrstructure, SEZ, PCPIR, Nuclear Plants and Big dams, NOT and NEVER in Bengal or in any of the METRO cities. Thus, Citizenship Amendment act as well as UNIQUE Identity Project Target the TRIBAL Aboriginal World where the SC OBC Bengali and Tamil refugees are resetlled ! Hence Periyarism and Matua Movement MUST be the MOST Relevan and mandatory forces of RSISTANCE!
US companies can play major role in India infra sectors: FM
As PERIYARISM is LOST in Tamil Film Industry Brahaminical Galamour and Corruption all ROUND, Dynasty rule, Matua Movement in Bengal lost way since PR Thakur was made Matua Head. since Ambedkar was Elected form SC quota in Bengal, PR Thakur felt DEPRIVED and the Matua Movement herefrom led by descendents of Great Harichand Thakur Guruchand Thakur had a TURNAROUND to be LOST in Brahaminasation and ANTI AMBEDKAR emotions which undermined the greater ineters of SC, OBC, ST and Muslim communities specifically in Benagl and beyond. Now, pathetically Matau Movement has become the INSTRUMENT in the Tug of war between two Prominent Brahaminical factons led by One Bhattachary and One Bandopaddhyay!Diversion of Matua Movement has led to nationwide deportation Drive against resettled bengali Sc and OBC communities on the one hand and on the other, DISINTEGRATING MUSLIM SC ST OBC UNIFIED Peasntry it has HELPD the Maoist and CORPORATE LPG Mafia Menace to take over the ABORIGINAL Humanscape countrywide, where US Operationfor GOLD RUSH in AMAZON River zone all over in Latin AMERICA is mercilessly REPLICATED!
India is ruled by the Governement of Extraconstitutional elements, Washington Super Slaves, India Incs, MNCs and LPG Mafia with as Open Glorified Agenda of Mass Destruction powered by Strategic Nuclear Zionist Brhaminical Alliance in US and Israel lead!
Operation Amezon has been launched in Indian aboriginal Indigenous Humanscape whereas our Mulnivasi Brotherhood is Uprooted, Displaced, Defaced and Demonised and does suffer continuous EXODUS and Ethnic Cleansing and HOLOCAUST since Power Transfer to Brahamin Bania Corporate Corrupt Raj!
In Bengal, Guruchand Thakur, following his Great Father Harichand Thakur who launched Anti Brahaminical Matua Movement, did UNIFIED BENGALI Untouchable communities and launched NAMOSHUDRA Movement demanding Abolishion of Untouchability, Annihilition of caste, TEBHAGA, Land Rights and Land Reforms and moreover, Separate ELECTORATE for Untouchables.
This movement created leaders like Mukund Bihari Malick and Jogendra Nath mandal who backed by strong Peasantry of Muslims, Tribals and SC OBC Demography of more than NINETY Percent Population in Bengal,not only did succeed to oust Caste Hindu Brahaminical Class out of Political Power in Bengal but also did ELECT DR BR Ambedkar to the Constitution Assembly to ensure Constitutional safeguards for SC, ST and OBC communities!
The Mulnivasi Movement shaped in National Geopolitics with Bengal, Punjab and Maharashtra along with South India being the strongest bases.
Thus, the Mischief Master, Gandhi and his zionist Clan led by Kashmiri Pundit JL Nehru partitioned India and DIVIDED Bengal as well as Punjab to kill the stings of Mulnivasi National Movement.
The followers of Matua and NAMOSHUDRA Movement and DR Ambedkar were EJECTED out from their Homelnad and Scattered countrywide and made DEPRIVED of Citizenship, Reservation, Mother Tongue, civic and Human Rights.
Bengali SC OBC refugees were resettled in Tribal areas countrywide and Brahamins pitted SC OBC Bengalies and later the Tamil Refugees following Periyarism Anti Brahamin against the MOST Militant ST Communities.
Only in the FIVE States ANDHRA, MAHARASHTRA,MP, ORRISSA and CHHATISHGARG no less than TWENTY MILLION Bengali SC OBC Refugees are Resettled in Tribal areas.
Now, under OPERATION AMOZEN undeclared, all the Natural resources and Mines and Minerals, water and Land have to be handed over to India Incs and MNCs, systematically MAOIST menace Inflicted in the ABORIGINAL Humanscape to accomplish the agenda of EXODUS, Holocaust and Military ACTIONS.
Only in CHHATISHGARGH THREE Hundred Sixty Thousnad bengali refugees mostly NAMOSHUDRA have been resettled under Dandakarany Project! In Malkangiri and navrangpur distrcists of ORRISSA, HUNDREDS of Bengali Colonies are established under the same Project. Garchiroli, CHANDRAPUR and GONDIA districts in Maharashtra, Shadaul, Panna and Baitul districts in M.P. have refugeee colnies and so the ADILABAD Subdivision of ANDHRA undre Dandakarany Project!
Mind you, these seettlements are PURELY Refugee Settlements and the so called Illegal bangladeshi Migrants concentrate in mostly Bengal and METRO cities of India.
But the Deportion DRIVE is launched in DANDAKARNYA States to clear decks for FREE and INDISCRIMINATE land Acquisition for Urbanisation, Industrialisation, Infrstructure, SEZ, PCPIR, Nuclear Plants and Big dams, NOT and NEVER in Bengal or in any of the METRO cities. Thus, Citizenship Amendment act as well as UNIQUE Identity Project Target the TRIBAL Aboriginal World where the SC OBC Bengali and Tamil refugees are resetlled ! Hence Periyarism and Matua Movement MUST be the MOST Relevant and mandatory forces of RSISTANCE!
"Shrishriharililamrta" is the principal religious scripture of the Matuya. Apart from praising Hari and meditating upon him, the Matuya believe in kindness to the living. In order to stress the importance of all living creatures and the equality of all life, they say that the remains of what a dog has eaten are holy food and that what is upheld as holy by the vedas and orthodox religion is to be violated. These ideas are expressed in the following lines of verse:
Hari dhyan Hari jnan Hari nam
Premete matoyara matuya nam
Jibe daya name ruchi manusete
Iha chhada ar yata sab kriya
Kukurer prasad pele khai
Veda-bidhi shauchachar nahi mani tai.
The Matuya are found in Bangladesh and West Bengal. Their principal temple is at Orakandi in Gopalganj, where a fair is held every year on the 13th day of the lunar month in Falgun, on the birth anniversary of Harichand Thakur. Thousands of devotees from all over the country gather on the occasions, bringing rice, lentils, and vegetables as token of their devotion and love.
The same fair used to be held at Thakurnagar,Thakurbari too on the birth anniversary of Harichand Thakur.Lakhs and lakhs of devotees from all over the country gather on the occasion.This is where all people come to "boroma" with lots of issues regarding their family etc..wishing boroma can solve their problems
Its a pure example of truth,honest,love and devotion.
They take bath in the holy water of Kamana Sagar before performing any worship.
Kamana Sagar
Matuya Sangit spiritual songs of the Matuya sect, containing praises of the god Hari and their gurus, Harichand Thakur and Guruchand. Composers of Matuya songs include Aswani Gosai, Tarak Chandra Sarker, Manohar Sarker, Mahananda Sarker, Rasik Sarker, Prafulla Gonsai, Surendranath Sarker, and Swarup Sarker.(they are the real followers i must say)
Composed in the manner of baul songs, these songs are predominantly about love (prem) and devotion (bhakti). The closing lines of the songs mention the name of the composer. Musical instruments such as the drum, shinga, and kansa are used as accompaniments. The devotees dance while they sing.
Matuya songs describe the longing of the soul for the divine. As in other religious poetry, the desire of the human soul is imaged in terms of human love as in the following songs: Hari tomar namer madhu pan korla na man-bhramara (The honey-bee mind has not drunk the honey from your name, oh Hari), Kabe tanre pab re, paran kande Harichand bali (When shall I meet Him, my soul cries for Harichand), Amar ei akinchan, he Guruchand tomay ami bhalabasi (Listen to me, O Guruchand, I love you).
(there were lots of song to sing though)
References
- [The Namasudras and other Addresses, Adelaide,1911 : C.S.Mead]
- [Matua Dharma Darshan ( in Bengali ), Thakurnagar,1393 B.S. p-47 : Paramananda Halder]
- [Sekhar Bandyopadhyay :Popular religion and social mobility : The Matua sect and the namsudras in R.K.Ray (ed) Mind Body and Society, Life and Mentality in colonial Bengal ( Calcutta) 1995]
- [Hitesh Ranjan Sanyal : Social Mobility in Bengal, Calcutta,1985]
- [Tarak Chandra Sarkar: Sri Sri Hari Lilamrita ( in Bengali ) Faridpur, 1323BS]
- [Adal Badal (Bengali Monthly) June–July,1995 No IV and V ]
- [Matua Dharma Darshan ( in Bengali ), Thakurnagar,1393 B.S. p-47 : Paramananda Halder]
- [Sekhar Bandyopadhyay :Popular religion and social mobility : The Matua sect and the namsudras in R.K.Ray (ed) Mind Body and Society, Life and Mentality in colonial Bengal ( Calcutta) 1995]
- [Hitesh Ranjan Sanyal : Social Mobility in Bengal, Calcutta,1985]
- [Tarak Chandra Sarkar: Sri Sri Hari Lilamrita ( in Bengali ) Faridpur, 1323BS]
- [Adal Badal (Bengali Monthly) June–July,1995 No IV and V ]
- [ The Family genealogy and community identity are after the living members of the clan in Thakurnagar as on 23 March 2011 ]
Further reading
- Ray, Niharranjan (1994). History of the Bengali People: Ancient Period. Orient Longman. ISBN 978-0-86311-378-9.
- Articles on Namasudra by Dr. C. S. Mead: [1][2]
- Bandyopādhyāẏa, Śekhara (1997). Caste, protest and identity in colonial India: the Namasudras of Bengal, 1872-1947. Routledge. ISBN 978-0-7007-0626-6.
- Census of India 2001, Manipur: [3]
- "Research Response: India". Refugee Review Tribunal, Australia. 30 August 2007.
- The stranglehold after 1947: By Vohra: [4], By M. Klass, pp. 43: [5]: by Ross Mullick,JAS vol. 58. no. 1 (Feb 1999) pp. 104–125.: Marichjhapi:ABR : & : [6]
- Ghatak, N. K.; Mukherjee, D. P. (1986). "Baruni : A Folk Festival of Thakurnagar Organised by the Namasudra Community for Onward Movement". Folklore (Calcutta: Indian Folklore Society) 27 (317): 241–247. ISSN 0015-5896.(subscription required)
- Rabindranath Tagore, The Brahma Poet in Namasudra Conference: The Calcutta Municipal Gazette Tagore Memorial Special Supplement, Saturday, September 3, 1941, editor Amal Home, p. 90 : Home page > 2010 > Two Events in Tagore's Life Mainstream, Vol XLVIII, No 20, May 8, 2010
- Das, S. N. Das, ed. (2003). The Bengalis. The People, Their History And Culture. Cosmo Publication. ISBN 978-81-7755-392-5.
Thakur, Harichand (1811-1877) a Hindu votary and founder of the matuya sect, was born in Orakandi of kashiani upazila in gopalganj (Greater faridpur) on the thirteenth day of Falgun 1214 of the Bangla calendar. His father, Yashomanta Thakur, was a Maithili Brahmin and a devout Vaisnava.
Harichand received little formal education. After completing his initial schooling in apathshala, he attended school for only a few months. He then started spending his time with shepherds and cowboys and roamed with them from one place to another. He started changing from this time. He was loved by all of his friends for his physical beauty, naivete, love for music and philanthropic attitude. He could also sing bhajan(devotional songs).
Harichand's doctrine is based on three basic principles-truth, love, and sanctity. The doctrine treats all people as equal; people are not seen according to castes or sects. Himself a Brahmin, he professed mixed with lower-caste people and treated them with the same dignity as he did other castes. This is why most of his followers believe Harichand to be an avatar (incarnation) of vishnu, and are from the lower strata of society. | * |
Harichand Thakur |
They used to affirm: Rama hari krisna hari hari gorachand. Sarba hari mile ei purna harichand (Rama is lord, Krishna is lord, lord is Chaitanyadev. But all of them make our Harichand, who is our lord.) Harichand did not believe in asceticism; he was more of a family man; and it is from within the family that he preached the word of God. He believed that 'Grhete thakiya yar hay bhaboday. Sei ye param sadhu janio nishchay' (the best ascetic is he who can express his devotion to God remaining a family man). He mobilised all the neglected sects and castes and inspired them to remain true to the openness of Hinduism.
Harichand left 12 instructions for the matuyas, known as Dvadash Ajna (Twelve Commands): 1. always speak the truth, 2. respect your parents like gods, 3. treat woman as your mother, 4. love the world, 5. remain liberal to all the religions, 6. never discriminate on racial counts, 7. try to establish Harimandir (temple of the Lord), 8. sit in prayer everyday, 9. Sacrifice your self for God, 10. do not practice asceticism in a garb, 11. hold the six cardinal passions in check, and 12. utter the name of your Lord while working with your hand. Harichand died on Wednesday 23 Falgun, the year 1284 of the Bangla calendar. [Monoranjan Ghosh]
Article Source: Banglapediahttp://www.bdlinks.net/biography/Harichand-Thakur.php
Lest we forget –11 March 1811: Shri Hari Chand Thakur birth anniversary- Collection by Dr. Pravin H Khobragade
Shri Hari Chand Thakur was born in NamaSudra Community in Bengal on 11th March 1811 in Orakandi of kashiani upazila in gopalganj (Greater faridpur). Harichand received little formal education. After completing his initial schooling in a pathshala, he attended school for only a few months. He then started spending his time with shepherds and cowboys and roamed with them from one place to another. He started changing from this time. He was loved by all of his friends for his physical beauty, naivete, love for music and philanthropic attitude. He could also sing bhajan (devotional songs). He cultivated the Matua Sect (The Matua community primarily consists of Dalits (mainly Namasudra). The Matua believe that male and female are equal. They discourage early marriage. Widow remarriage is allowed. They refer to their religious teachers as 'gonsai;' both men and women can be gonsai.They follow the teachings of Shri Hari chand and Gurchand Thakur) whose principles were: (1) No necessity of entering the temples of higher castes for the purpose of worship, (2) Discarding Brahmin priest for any ceremony, (3) Worship on Shri Hari, (4) Not to worship idols and not to visit pilgrimage centres of Hindus and (5) Maintain good moral conduct and lead an ideal family life. The sect became popular in East Bengal (now a part of Bangladesh) and he led the untouchability movement called the Chandal movement in India. He built a english high school at Orakandhi (Banladesh ) for the people of lower community called Nama Shudra (untouchable community). He united the people of this community, but was against religion conversion. However some Bengali Brahmins have made him a Maithili Brahmin. Harichand's doctrine is based on three basic principles-truth, love, and sanctity. The doctrine treats all people as equal. Shri Shri Harichand Thakur and his son was great social reformer Sri Sri Guruchand Thakur who reform the society of chandal (charal). He built a English high school at orakandhi (bangladesh ) for the people of lower community more of them called Namasudra (untouchable comunity). He united the people of lower community people, and protect them from religion conversion.
Some collection by Dhirendra Rangari
During the Namasudhra movement the resources were very merger and the people
were very scattered and approachability was very challenging because the Nama
Shudra Community used to live in the swamps [small inland water bodies]. To
over come this they used to:
- Conduct meetings and deliberation and brain storming sessions, on the
occasion of any celebrations like marriages… etc and even on the funeral if
some one is dead and because of that the people has come together.
- They used to conduct conventions to plan the future course of action of
their movement and to take the stock of the actions they have taken during
that year.
- Democratic pattern of functioning the organization and the base of the
organization was broad-base which almost covered entire East Bengal
- It was mandate that each member of the community has to be a member of
the movement by paying a fixed amount on monthly basis.
- It was mandate that 5% amount of the expense incurred in any
celebrations of marriage or of any sort has to be given as a donation to the
movement
Such was the maturity and the spirit of the Nama Sudhra Movement run by
the downtrodden people, and that too in the 19th century.
We certainly have to learn a lesson from them and to implement and inculcate
it in our society / community so that we have enough resource [ financial +
mental + and human ] to run Phuley – Ambedkar Movement with greater force in
a right direction.
CHANDI WORSHIPPERS CALLED CHANDALAS
The worshippers of Chandi, the Chandalas, shed traditional racial name and were voluntarily advised to have the name of Namasudra in the caste menu. Little did they know then that the name Namasudra contained caste appellation of social slavery. No other oppressed caste surrendered so abjectly to Aryan social slavery as did the Namasudras in the process. This was the result of an intellectual fraud which had advised Guruchand Thakur in this behalf.
A special award has been instituted by the Govt. of West Bengal in memory of Shri Harichand Thakur and his son Shri Shri Guruchand Thakur, both preceptors of Matua religious community. The Thakur Harichand, Guruchand Award, which consists of a cash prize worth Rs.25,000, a citation and other prizes in kind is scheduled to be conferred from this year onwards. The Backward Classes Welfare Department will organise the award-giving ceremony. Anybody belonging to schedule caste community will be entitled for a claim of this award for his or her leading or outstanding role in effecting holistic development in the socio-economic life-structure of the schedule caste community.
Harichand Thakur and his son Guruchand Thakur struggled relentlessly to do away with social ills like untouchability, inequalities of caste systems, right to enter temples or shrines and an overall development of rural Bengal in the 19th century. They established many educational institutions in order to step up the conditions of the downtrodden of the society. Their relentless struggle for upliftment of the downtrodden made them popular among thousands of persons.
Guruchand Thakur, Son of Harichand Thakur started Namasudra Welfare Association. He called an All Bengal Namasudra Conference at Duttadanga in the district of Khulna (at present in Bangladesh) in the year 1881. Guruchand Thakur was the president of the conference. Guruchand Thankue advised his people to start schools in the areas densly populated by them. His next movement was to remove the disgraceful term, "Chandal" (which was then attributed to Namasudra by the higher caste Hindus) from the census report. He was successful in the same. The term "Chandal" was removed from census report of 1911. In 1907 he appealed to the then Governor of Bengal and Assam for employment of the Namasudras in government services.
http://mulnivasiorganiser.bamcef.org/?p=163
Frontier
Vol. 43,No. 37, March 27‐April 2, 2011
THE CITIZENSHIP ISSUE
Who Are the Matuas?
Sandip Bandyopadhyay
In the present volatile political situation in West Bengal, the term "Matua" has gained
currency on a scale that has surprised the middle-class and mostly uppercaste Bengali
babus. Both the ruling CPI(M) and the major opposition party, the Trinamul Congress (TMC),
are now bent on wooing the Matuas obviously with an eye to the forthcoming assembly
elections. How come that the Matuas have acquired so much of prominence? And who are
the Matuas anyway?
Though the history of the Matua movement which dates back to the late 19th Century has
been documented by several scholars, upper and middle-caste Bengalis have little
knowledge of this dalit movement led by the Namashudra community in the-then eastern
Bengal. Unlike Maharashtra or Tamilnadu, Bengal has no remarkable history of dalit uprising
or anti-Brahmin movement. The Namashudra uprising in undivided Bengal therefore stands
out as somewhat unique. It began in Faridpur (now in Bangladesh) in 1872 when the
Namashudras, insulted by the Brahmins, called a strike and declared that they would not
serve in any upper-caste households unless their upper status was recognised. The
Namashudras had already organised themselves against Brahminical domination in several
other districts. Spread of education among them had sharpened their sense of self-dignity
and emboldened them to stand against upper-caste hegemony.
The Matua movement originated at Orakandi, a village in Faridpur district in the mid-19th
Century under the leadership of Harichand Thakur. After Harichand's death in 1878, his son
Guruchand Thakur provided a boost to the movement and expanded its influence over a
large section of the community. It also attracted some other dalit groups too. The
Namashudras consciously stayed away from the anti-partition movement (1905-11)
conducted mostly by upper-caste Hindu leaders and a small number of nationalist-minded
Muslims.
The leaders' call for unity had appeal to a section of the low-caste villagers who even took
a boycott of foreign goods. But the Namashudras didn't join the movement. During the same
period (1907) Guruchand Thakur rather submitted a memorandum to the Governor of
Bengal demanding that they be treated as Brahmins and accorded a higher-caste status.
Upholding the same demand, the Namashudras published a number of tracts and from 1908
began to bring out a journal entitled Namashudra Shruhid. The name of Namashudra as a
community figured in the census report of 1911.
In later days, the development of the Namashudra movement under the able leadership
of Jogendranath Mondol, its link with B R Ambedkar on the one hand; and on the other,
political alliance with the Muslim League (ML) in the 1940s–is another history. What is
relevant to the Matua movement is that the Namashudras were close to the ML during the
1947 partition and J N Mondol became a minister in the-then East Pakistan. But their faith in
the ML soon crumbled and they felt threatened in the face of the horrible communal violence
of 1950. The Namashudras then began to move to West Bengal almost in a body. Of them,
the Matua devotees gathered at Thakurnagar in (North) 24 Parganas and tried to maintain
their tradition in this part of Bengal.
They lived as a distinct sect and no political party cared to pay attention to them. After
1977 i.e the beginning of the Left Front rule, the CPI(M) did influence a section of them; but
the Matuas never shook off their distinct identity as the followers of Harichand and Guruchand Thakur. Every year, they would organise a large assembly where they would
invoke the name of Orakandi–the place of their origin. Meanwhile the sect gained in volume
since Matuas formed a sizeable section of the 1971 refugees who stayed back in West
Bengal even after the birth of Bangladesh.
It is too well-known that the flow of refugees–both Hindus and Muslims–from Bangladesh
continues to this day as an unending stream. Continuous migration from across the border
has not only changed the demography of some areas in the border districts of West Bengal,
it has raised the complex issue of citizenship. While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
insisted on branding the Muslim migrants as 'infiltrators', the Congress Government at the
Centre till the end of the last century preferred to treat both the communities as
'unrecognised' refugees even as it accorded citizenship to their progeny. Surprisingly in
2003, the BJP-led NDA Government made matters more complicated by including all the
post-1971 Hindu refugees and their progeny in the 'illegal migrant' category.
The Left Front Government in West Bengal played a queer role on this count. They
simply overlooked the serious problem of continuous migration or infiltration; but began to
recognise those people in a sort of clandestine manner by providing the migrants with ration
cards at least in some areas. This helped enlarge the vote-bank of the LF, particularly the
CPI(M); but the problem of migration continues to trouble the already overpopulated state. It
took more than twenty years for the CPI(M) to admit that it was a 'problem'. For them the
best way to solve a problem is not to solve it.
True to their tradition, the Matuas, however, have been able to establish themselves as a
powerful group and the issue of citizenship has got tied up with the independent-minded
stance of the community. Presently, it has therefore become difficult for any political party,
involved in electoral politics, to ignore them. Led mainly by the upper class and castes, the
Bengal Leftists neglected the demand of the dalit communities for a long time. They didn't
even co-operate with the Mondol Commission in the 1980s. And now they are trying to win
the Matuas over, in a bid to reverse electoral misfortunes.
Naturally, the TMC is also keen on proving that they are sympathetic to the Matuas.
Hence, leaders of both the parties are now visiting the Matua centre at Thakurnagar,
meeting Binapani Devi, the revered Mother ('Boroma') of the sect and holding out promises
to fulfil their demands. None of them however is addressing the grave issue of citizenship
which involves the identity of a large number of people.
Political leaders' sudden concern with the Matuas is a familiar part of electoral game. In
the midst of this exercise, what stands out is the strong dalit assertion that has practically
brought the leaders to their knees. Leaders of both the CPI(M) and TMC have been forced to
share the platform on the occasion of a recent meeting in Kolkata called by the Matua
Sangha. On his 150th birth anniversary, Rabindranath would have been happy to see how
the depressed and neglected have now mustered the strength to control the pulling-string
(rather rashi) of the chariot. †††
http://frontierweekly.com/pdf-files/vol-43-37/matuas-43-37.pdf
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