The incident took place on March 16 where a cultural event intended as a celebration of Bodo Legendary Heroes during the university’s 23rd varsity week and Thulunga Festival was being held. However, a viral video showed a stage act where two people were dressed in Muslim attire, with beards and skull caps, and also had their hands bound. They are being walked in the rally behind a man reportedly dressed up as a policeman. The two dressed up people are shown to be beaten up by police personnel in the video of the rally. The rally, with students holding up the banner for the event, can be seen following behind.
It has drawn condemnation from students and organisations in the state. In response to the incident, according to Northeast Now, the Muslim Student Union of Assam (MSUA) central president Jalal Uddin expressed shock at the depiction and promised action if the university fails to address the matter promptly. “We do not understand why a higher educational institute tried to portray Muslims as criminals. We condemn the attitude of Bodoland University for such humiliation. The entire community is not responsible for an act of a certain person. We will wait for two days. If the university authority does not clarify the issue, we will lodge an FIR against them.”
As per the report, other student organisations including North East Minority Students Union (NEMU), Krishak Shramiak Unnayan Sangram Samiti (KSUSS), Muslim Jatiya Parishad (MJP), and Burman Mandai Students Union (BMSU) have also condemned the incident.
The incident raises concerns about Muslims in Assam. According to the 2011 Indian census, Muslims make up about 35% of the population of Assam, the third highest among Indian states. However, despite there being a significant presence in the state their representation in positions of power remains disproportionately low as according to a report by The Wire The report states that Muslims are often subjected to stereotypes and names such as “Bangladeshi”, “illegal immigrant” and “Jihadi” and considered to be ‘outsiders’. The Wire’s analysis from January 2024 stated that Assam has given 16 ministers to the parliament however not one of them is Muslim. Similarly, it notes that across the state’s 34 districts, there is not even one Muslim deputy commissioner (DC). There are also reportedly no Muslim superintendents of police (SP) in any of these districts either. The analysis also looks at the composition in the judicial system and notes that even though the Gauhati High Court comprises 23 judges, there is no judge from the Muslim community in the court.
It also noted the composition of Muslim teachers in the state and noted that, amongst others, out of the 93 teachers at Bodoland University, the university did not have a single Muslim teacher, in permanent or non-permanent posts. However, interestingly the only place where Muslim presence is notably high is among undertrials in the state and the percentage stands at a staggering 52.54%.
The chief minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, has also been in the past recorded for reportedly giving hate speeches and also engaging in dog-whistling against minorities. In 2023, he once even blamed the ‘Miya Muslims’ of Assam for the hike in vegetable prices. Miya is reportedly a derogatory term to refer to Bengali speaking Muslims in the state.
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