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News: Union Home Minister extended greetings to Matua community on Matua Dharma Mela marking 215th birth anniversary of Harichand Thakur.
About Purna Brahma Shree Shree Harichand Thakur
- Shree Shree Harichand Thakur was a social reformer and founder of the Matua sect.
- Birth : He was born in Safaladanga village in Gopalgunj in a Vaishnavite Namashudra peasant family of Bengal Presidency.
- Teachings
- Principle of devotion: He taught that devotion to God, faith in mankind and love for living beings are essential.
- Simple path to salvation: He said one can attain God through devotion while living a family life without renunciation.
- Core values: His Matua religion was based on Truth, Love, and Sanity.
- Social reforms
- Equality and dignity: He promoted equality and asked followers to treat all people with dignity.
- Organisation of oppressed: He established Matua Mahasangha to unite and organize marginalized communities under his religious doctrine..
- Rejection of caste oppression: His movement challenged discrimination faced by lower-caste people.
- Matua Dharma Mela: It is a sacred occasion celebrated to mark his birth anniversary and promote his teachings.
- Belief among followers: Followers considered him as Param Brahma and an incarnation of Vishnu or Krishna.
- Twelve instructions: He gave twelve moral instructions such as always speaking the truth, respecting women as mothers, loving all living beings, avoiding discrimination, controlling desires, being honest, performing duties with devotion, and praying to God regularly.
About Matua Community
- Social base: It mainly belongs to the Namashudra Scheduled Caste group.
- Migration history: Many migrated to India during partition and after 1971 due to religious persecution.
- Present Status: The Matua community forms the second largest Scheduled Caste population in West Bengal, constituting 17.4% of the total SC population, and has been demanding the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019.
