This is the second part of a series on exclusions in West Bengals’s welfare schemes. Read part one and three here.Bankura, West Bengal: “Why are we not getting money under the Annapurna Yojana? Will our religion be considered before we do? Is it a directive of the West Bengal government?” These are some of the questions that Muslim women from Kethardanga in Bankura municipality asked as they staged a sit-in outside the office of the Bankura Sub-divisional Officer (SDO), Pralay Mondal, on Tuesday.The women submitted a deputation demanding payment under the government’s Annapurna scheme, meant to provide a small income support of Rs 3,000 per month to women from disadvantaged families.The women from Kethardanga were accompanied on Tuesday by leaders of All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA), who had come to the SDO’s office seeking an explanation for their “exclusion” from the scheme’s benefits.Illustration: Pariplab Chakraborty.For many of women, Tuesday’s protest was a significant departure from their lives so far. Women said they rarely stepped out of their homes before, not even to approach a municipal councillor. But they overcame their hesitation this time and reached the SDO’s office to demand answers related to their basic rights.The day’s protest brought women together across religious lines. Fansidanga resident from a nearby municipal ward, Ankita De, and Tapasi De, Sangita Garai and Sandhya Rani Singh joined the Kethardanga women in their sit-in. That is because all these women, regardless of their religious identity, have not being getting their Annapurna payments.Ankita, Tapasi and Sangita sat with Iderjan Bibi, Askiya Bibi, Surmila Khatun, Mamoni Bibi and Rupsona Bibi, all saying that religion had no place in the struggle for their rights and entitlements. The central question, they said, was why anyone should be deprived of government benefits because of their religion.‘We cannot digest humiliation’The protest comes three days after the Muslim women from Kethardanga met the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA of Bankura, Niladri Sekhar Dana. On Saturday, October 3, the women from Ward No. 19 approached Dana asking about their payments under the scheme. The women allege they were deeply humiliated during this interaction.Also read: Attacking Food, Art and Words, Has Hindutva Finally Got to Bengal’s Durga Puja?They allege that the Dana dragged religion into the issue and told them that Hindu women would receive the benefit first, after which the question of whether Muslim women would receive it would be considered. The MLA has denied their allegation of discrimination.On returning home after meeting the MLA, the women told The Wire that they could not digest the humiliation, they could not eat on that day, and decided to go to the SDO’s office on Tuesday to demand justice. “We want to know whether there is any religious restriction on receiving government funds. We came here today to get an answer,” they said while staging their protest.Standing in the harsh afternoon sun with their children in their arms, Askiya Bibi and Surmila Bibi said they had come to the SDO’s office determined to get an answer. “We did not cook food at home today. We simply collected water from the tap and came here,” said Aspia Bibi.“We will return only after telling the authorities about our problem and the humiliation [we faced] and after getting a proper answer,” said Sultana Bibi.‘We live in hardship’The women said rising prices of essential items had made the government assistance particularly important for their families. “Hindus and Muslim alike buy sugar, onions, mustard oil, rice and gas at high prices. Does the government not know this?” Askiya Bibi said.The families of most of the protesting women make a living by doing daily labour at a railway goods shed. They do get work every day. Their households therefore survive amidst persistent financial hardship. They also say that they have repeatedly applied for the Annapurna benefit, offline and online, but had received no payment.Also read: ‘Jai Shri Ram’ for Welfare in West Bengal? Muslim Women Accuse Bankura BJP MLA of Humiliating ThemThe Bankura SDO’s office had told them to approach a “Seba Setu Abhiyan” camp organised by the government at Godhuli lodge in Bankura on October 3. But, according to the women, on visiting the camp, they were told that their complaints regarding the Annapurna Yojana could not be addressed there and that they should approach the local MLA instead.‘We faced discrimination based on our religious identity’The women said they went to Dana’s office in the Bhairavsthan area of Bankura town. “We had barely reached there when he started raising the ‘Jai Shri Ram’ slogan,” said Rakea Bibi, who had accompanied at least two dozen other women to the MLA’s office.“We were silent [on the slogan] and asked him only one question: When will we receive the money under Annapurna Yojana?’’ said Sabetun Bibi.Rakea and Sabetun allege that the MLA told them he could not say when they would receive the money and that he also said that Hindu women would receive the benefit first, after which the claims of Muslim women would be considered.The women allege that some people accompanying the MLA made derogatory remarks at them and behaved inappropriately towards them.Dana denied making objectionable remarks, He acknowledged saying “Jai Shri Ram” but said that he had not directed his remarks at the Muslim women. He also said he would try to ensure that they received the money from the Annapurna Yojana.Women unite across religious lines The Tuesday protest saw Hindu women join the agitation. Ankita De, one of the protesters at the SDO’s office, said there could be no religious restriction on issues concerning people’s rights.“I, too, have repeatedly approached the MLA and people associated with the BJP in the area, but nothing came of it,” De told The Wire. “I came here today and found that these women had also come with the same demand. So I joined their protest,” she said.Also read: Denied Benefits, Distressed and in Debt: Women Across Bengal Protest Over Annapurna YojanaAfter their sit-in, the women submitted a deputation to the SDO. They were accompanied by AIDWA district secretary Aparna Banerjee, with Siuli Midya and Sudipa Banerjee also from the organisation.SDO promises actionBankura SDO Mondal told the women that he would seriously look into the matter and ensure that those who had already applied the Annapurna Yojana scheme received the financial assistance as soon as possible.He advised those who had not yet applied to submit their applications without delay. The women returned after receiving this assurance from SDO.The protest thus ended with a promise from the administration, but leaving the larger question raised by the women unanswered: Can access to a government welfare scheme be determined by religion in Bengal?