GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said he would not allow the “Miya” Muslims to take over Assam even as he said he would take “sides”.
Rafiqul Islam (AIUDF MLA) and Debabrata Saikia (Congress MLA and leader of Opposition) said people from lower Assam will definitely go to upper Assam. "But why should they go? Do you mean Miya Muslims (Bengali-speaking Muslims) will take over entire Assam. I will not allow this to happen,” Sarma retorted.
He was speaking in the Assembly on adjournment motions brought in by the Opposition parties to discuss the law and order situation in the aftermath of the recent gang-rape of a 14-year-old girl in the Dhing area of Nagaon.
The opposition parties accused Sarma of being partisan and he responded bluntly, “I will take sides. What can you do?”
“You said I should give protection to (Miya) traders who go to upper Assam. Should you then not give protection to Hindus in (Muslim-majority) Barpeta and Dhubri (of lower Assam) where they are always harassed and tortured?” he asked.
Miya Muslims have sizeable populations across lower, central, northern and southern Assam. Two days ago, Sarma stated, “…we are now in a minority in 12-14 districts."
After the incident in Dhing, some organisations in Sivasagar asked “Bangladeshis” (read Miya Muslims) to leave upper Assam, which is home to various indigenous communities, or face the consequences. They claimed indigenous identity was under threat.
Sarma said they had given a statement but did not take the law into their hand barring one stray incident. He said the indigenous communities of the state face such incidents in lower Assam every day.
“As long as the rights of indigenous people are protected, you can do anything. But if you want to dominate them, the atmosphere will not be good,” the Assam CM said.
“Somebody said fish will not be supplied to upper Assam. Isn’t this an economic blockade? Economic blockade has been in your mind,” Sarma said referring to Miya Muslims.
He said there is a United Nations charter on the rights of indigenous people while a Supreme Court judgement said there is economic and external aggression in Assam because of the disbalance in population.
Meanwhile, taking cognisance of quit notice, the AIUDF petitioned Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya, seeking action by the state government against some “unknown organisations and fundamentalist groups” which asked “a section of Muslims” to leave upper Assam. The party said such diktats were a serious threat to communal harmony.
The Paresh Baruah-led faction of the banned insurgent group United Liberation Front of Assam said when people from various communities were involved in the incidents of crime against women, it was unfair to target one community.
