Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee at the event on Tuesday. Picture by Amit Datta

Calcutta, Sept. 21: Binapani Debi Thakurani (Baroma), the All India Matua Mahasabha chief adviser, today skipped a programme sponsored by the Left Front government but sent a letter of appreciation whose authorship has been contested by one of her sons.

Jyotipriya Mullick, a Trinamul Congress MLA from Gaighata, had called on the nonagenarian Baroma two days ago at Mamata Banerjee’s behest.

Chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee today awarded the Sri Sri Thakur Harichand-Guruchand prize to Baroma’s son Kapil Krishna for his sustained work among the Matuas to uplift them. Bhattacharjee also offered pranam before the portraits of Sri Sri Thakur Harichand and Sri Sri Thakur Guruchand on the dais.

“We have been thinking of instituting an award like this one for long. I am happy that our plans have come true. Those who fought for the uplift of the downtrodden are Sri Chaitanya Deb, Raja Rammohun Roy, Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar, Rabindranath Tagore and also Thakur Harichand and Thakur Guruchand. But history didn’t recognise the role of the last two like the others,” Bhattacharjee said.

Then he added: “Srimati Binapani Debi has sent a letter through her son, detailing the plight of the refugees. I am trying my best to improve the living conditions of the colonies where they live.”

However, another son, Manjil Krishna Thakur, said later: “At this age, Ma cannot write letters. So the letter that the CPM is claiming to have been written by her is false. Somebody has written the letter using my mother’s name.”

He said awarding a prize to his elder brother would not help the CPM in the Assembly polls.

A person who identified himself as a minister’s secretary distributed copies of the letter.

At the event, when Kapil Krishna Thakur demanded that an educational institution be named after Sri Sri Harichand Thakur and Sri Sri Guruchand Thakur, the chief minister readily agreed.

The chief minister’s move is being seen by Trinamul Congress leaders as an attempt to woo back the 1.2 crore Matuas spread over 74 Assembly constituencies in Bengal. Considered traditional Left voters, the Matuas apparently opted for Mamata’s candidates during the Lok Sabha polls.

“He (the chief minister) appeared desperate to get back the votes of the Matuas,” said Trinamul Congress state president Subrata Bakshi. “But we are confident that Matuas will vote for us in the Assembly polls,” he added.

However, Kanti Biswas, a former minister, said: “It’s true that we have woken up to the problems concerning the Matuas a bit late. But our present initiatives would definitely stand us in good stead.”