Marginalization of Surjapuri Muslim Community of North Bengal: A Thematic Study

This study provides a thematic review to explore the socio-historical origins, unique culture, and persistent marginalization of the Nashya Sekh Surjapuri Muslim community of North Bengal, India. Positioned as a subaltern minority group within the larger Muslim minority of West Bengal, the scope of this review encompasses scholarly works on community stratification, indigenous ancestry, cultural syncretism, and government policy in West Bengal, particularly concerning the contiguous North Bengal districts. The analysis reveals that these subaltern groups, often referred to as Deshi Muslims, occupy the Atraf stratum, a structural legacy of internal Muslim social stratification. Tracing their ancestry primarily to indigenous communities like the Rajbanshi and Koch, the paper highlights the profound cultural syncretism that defines their identity, marked by linguistic continuity (Northern Deshi Bangla) and the retention of non-Islamic rituals and food practices. The central finding links this deep-seated structural backwardness to state policy, demonstrating that the extensive inclusion of these communities into the ‘More Backward’ Category-A of the Other Backward Classes (OBC) lists serves as an implicit validation of their historical and ongoing marginality. The study concludes by proposing an agenda for future research focusing on comparative anthropological studies and rigorous, community-specific socioeconomic surveys to address their continued neglect.