Author:

Dolon Biswas
Independent Research Scholar
Department of History
University of North Benal
Darjeeling,West Bengal,India

Email: dolon.history@gmail.com

Abstract:: Abstract: B.R. Ambedkar said, ‘there is nothing fixed, nothing eternal, nothing sanatan, everything is
changing and change is a law of life for individuals as well as for society’. Numerically the
Namasudras constituted the second largest Hindu caste group in the British province of Bengal and
the largest in its eastern part.The present work attempts a detailed study of The socio-cultural life of
the namasudra community in Coochbehar district of North Bengal. Social scientists say, North Bengal
is a miniature version of India. There are many opinions among scholars regarding the origin and
history of the Namasudra Community. The Social status of the Namasudras among Bengali Hindus
were very Low. They were once called Chandals and considered Untouchables.Dr.Wise, has
mentioned in his writing that the Namasudras were the only powerful and well-organized Caste of the
Lower Caste who used ‘Kayathi Nagri’, the common written Language of Dinajpur. This diverse
group was united by Sri Sri Guru chand Thakur and Sri Sri Harichand Thakur. In the 2011 census,
these Chandals were fully recognized only as Namasudras. The Matuas had the greatest influence
among the Namasudras. Numerically, the Namasudras were the largest Hindu Caste in East Bengal.
Among the large Namasudras of refugees who arrived in North Bengal, The Namasudras were one of
the main population. According to statistics, the number of refugees in West Bengal is still more than
8 million. Although most of the people of the Namasudras Community came from East Bengal, they
have changed and refined over time and have taken the present from North Bengal and Cooch Behar
district. This Namasudras Community has its own rules, customs, rituals, worshiped festivals, food
habits, clothing ,attire, professions etc. The people of this Namasudras group follow various cultural
traditions.

Key Words::Cooch Behar,Namasudras, North Bengal, Partition, Migration, Rituals, etc