These individuals, all from the Bengali Muslim community, were summoned to the Superintendent of Police’s office under the pretence of signing documents on Monday. Instead, they were placed onto a bus bound for the infamous Matia transit camp in Goalpara district, 50 km away. The heartache of separation filled the air as the police bus carried away one member from each of the 28 families, leaving their loved ones crying in the streets.

The CJP Team on the ground was able to document these individuals being taken away.

The detainees were identified as:

1. Keramat Ali
2. Abdul Latif
3. Kitab Ali
4. Sirajul Haque
5. Ibrahim Ali
6. Hanif Ali
7. Munjor Alom
8. Ainal Mondal
9. Shahadat Ali
10. Sha Ali Akand
11. Sonauddin
12. Ramej Uddin
13. Amjat Ali
14. Based Ali
15. Salam Ali
16. Abdul Joynal Mir
17. Shukur Miya
18. Malam Miya
19. Anowar Hussain
20. Basaton Nessa
21. Aimona Khatun
22. Ajbha Khatun
23. Sobiya Khatun
24. Monowara Begum
25. Jabeda Khatun
26. Sufiya Khatun
27. Raijon Begum
28. Eyaton Nessa

The incident was part of a much larger and deeply unsettling process. As of August 22, 2024, data from the Assam Assembly reveals that over 54,411 people have been labelled as “declared foreigners” by Foreigners Tribunals (FTs) since 2005. The BJP-led government, under Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, has ramped up these detentions, recently inaugurating a permanent detention camp in Matia—the largest such facility in Asia—operational since January 27, 2023.

Previously, six temporary detention camps were scattered across Assam, located in Goalpara, Kokrajhar, Tezpur, Silchar, Dibrugarh, and Jorhat. Kokrajhar is the only one for women. The Matia camp, a sprawling complex, now serves as the main site for detaining individuals labelled as foreigners, often those arrested after rulings by FTs.

The Foreigners Tribunals, set up under the Foreigners Act of 1946, were meant to address illegal migration. Assam alone has around 100 tribunals, primarily to determine the status of “doubtful” voters and foreigners. These tribunals came into being following years of agitation by the indigenous Assamese population, concerned that illegal migrants from Bangladesh were threatening their identity and culture.

Amidst this, Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) has stepped in to provide legal aid, helping numerous detainees secure release and even overturning some tribunal decisions. Many detainees are released on bail or declared Indian citizens by the High Court, but the painful cycle of detainment and uncertain futures continues. The present tragedy in Barpeta struck a deep emotional chord, as families wailed and pleaded while their loved ones were dragged away. It is to be noted that the CJP Assam team had attempted to visit the Matia detention camp soon after the incident, but the authorities denied them entry and barred them from gathering information about the detainees’ conditions.

For the families, the separation felt on that fateful day was more than just a momentary loss—it was a fracture in the bonds of love, trust, and belonging.

Related:

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12-year legal battle for identity: Rahim Ali’s posthumous victory in Assam’s citizenship tribunal

The post Families torn asunder: 28 Bengali Muslims taken from homes, detained as “Declared Foreigners” in Assam appeared first on SabrangIndia.

On June 22, 2024 during a felicitation programme of the winning BJP candidates from Assam, BJP leader – Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma has claimed that the people is of ‘Bangladeshi-origin’ and the minority community members overwhelmingly voted for the Congress in the general assembly election of 2024.

He told the media, “Without considering the developmental work done for them by the BJP-led governments at the Centre and in the state.”

He added, “We analysed 39 per cent votes of the Congress. It is not spread across the state. Fifty per cent of it is concentrated in 21 assembly segments which are minority dominated. In these minority-dominated segments, BJP got 3 per cent votes.”

While the BJP won around 240 seats in total across the in the 18th General Assembly elections of 2024, they BJP is Assam had witnessed a lacklustre performance in terms of its vote share.

Further, seemingly stoking communal sentiments, Sarma has claimed, “One thing this election proved is that Hindus do not indulge in communalism. If someone commits communalism in Assam, one community does it, one religion does it, and no other commits communalism this election is proof of that. Someone is contesting against Sarbananda Sonowal Ji, someone is contesting against Bijuli Kalita Medhi, and someone is contesting against Dilip Saikia. The people of Assam have voted for us on the basis of merit, hope, aspiration and within the complainant of scarcity, they also voted for the party that was against us. There are no roads, no job, and even after accepting it, not a single person has complained about our During the Congress days, no land patta was received in char.”

Blaming the ‘minority community’, Sarma further stated, “The minority community people are living in misery due to poverty during the Congress days. In the minority areas, there is not a single road, no electricity, no thought of increasing prices. No matter what the officials have been doing, the minority vote for the Congress and this time also they have flooded them with their votes.” Sarma is an incumbent chief minister in Assam. Going further, he seems to be reportedly taking a partisan stance, and calling his party, BJP, as one that stands for ‘Hindu society.’

As per government data, the Muslim community continues to see high dropout rates in the state at 29 percent. Their education rates in the state are lower than that of other marginalised communities, such as Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

“We, the people of Assam should learn that those who have been calling the BJP communal for so long. The BJP can say that if we stand somewhere for the Hindu society. If we stand somewhere for the Assamese society, if we stand for the people of the nation, we have not got 100 votes out of the 100 votes. None of our MPs won by 10-12 lakh votes. But if we go for the vote centres for the minority people of Bangladesh origin in Assam excluding Karimganj, out of 100 votes, only 99 votes have been received by the Congress. Earlier their contract was with Badruddin Ajmal, now the contract has been transferred to Rokibul Hussain. Only the contract was changed but not the team. The idea of communalism has not changed.”

Sabrang India has previously published an analysis of how people voted against BJP’s hate and communalism and in favour of democracy in Assam and the entire North East. While the BJP has maintained its hold on nine seats in the state, which is equal to its performance in the previous general assembly elections in 2019. It also has increased its vote share from 36.4% to 37.43%. However, the Indian National Congress (INC) edged out the BJP in terms of vote share increase, and has risen from 35.8% to 37.48%, even though the party has only retained its previous number of three seats.

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The post Once again, Assam CM tries to shake communal sentiment, claims minority community only know how to engage in communal activities appeared first on SabrangIndia.

In his letter Sarma also urged the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to inquire into the financial irregularities of NRC updating process and probable money laundering. Sarma has requested, “The National Investigation Agency (NIA) to probe if any foreign money was involved in the process to pave the way for inclusion of foreign nationals’ name in the NRC Assam.”

Sarma has also stated that an affidavit has been filed with the Supreme Court for the reverification process. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has meanwhile stated that the final phase of the NRC is the task of the central government as of now, as the state government has completed its work in this phase.

On August 31, 2019 the final NRC was published with a total of 19,06,657 applicants left out from the NRC, with 3,11,21,004 inclusions.

Sarma, an officer in the Assam civil services, was appointed as the state coordinator of the NRC in 2019 after the previous coordinator, Prateek Hajela got a transfer to his home state, Madhya Pradesh. Sarma details that in 2013 he was debarred from the NRC office due to internal reasons. But on November 11, 2019 he was appointed as NRC state Coordinator after the deputation of Prateek Hajela. The current NRC coordinator is IAS officer, Partha Pratim Mazumdar.

Internal bureaucratic conflicts

The ruling central government led by BJP has notably been at loggerheads with Prateek Hajela after the publication of the final NRC. In the months running up to August 31 2019, Prateek Hajela had been rendered virtually dysfunctional in his post as NRC State Coordinator with the Government of Assam adopting a policy of non-cooperation with him. After the transfer of Prateek Hajela by the Supreme Court, the Government of Assam took a prompt decision to reinstate Hitesh Dev Sharma in a more senior position than before. Hitesh Dev Sharma is also known to be very close to the ruling party, BJP.

May 19, 2022 in a shocking turn of events in the already complicated journey of the NRC, Hitesh Deb Sarma had filed an FIR against Former NRC Coordinator Pratik Hajela. He alleged that the process of Family Tree Verification was conducted in a flawed manner under Hajela, with several “imposters” allegedly using “fraudulent” documents to establish linkage to genuine citizens. He also accused Hajela of deliberately using a software that prevented proper quality checks and permitted names of “foreigners” to be included in the NRC. In his letter to the PM, he has also stated that he discovered during sample checks that over 50,000 names of Indian citizens were missing.

Sarma and Hajela have not seen eye to eye. As per The Print, in a Facebook post in 2023, Sarma had alleged the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) leader Samujjal Bhattacharya would take 16 lakh rupees per month from Hajela. Both Hajela and the AASU had decried these statements. As late as February 2024, the AASU’s Samujjal Bhattacharya has filed a defamation case against Sarma.

In 2022, four Left parties in Assam had demanded the removal of Hitesh Dev Sarma as the National register of Citizens (NRC) coordinator, as they relayed shock and anger over his First Information Report (FIR) against his predecessor Prateek Hajela. They further blamed him for stalling the NRC process. The parties who stated this were the Communist Party of India (CPI), Communist Party of India – Marxist (CPIM), Communist Party of India – Marxist Leninist (CPI-ML) and the Revolutionary Communist Party of India (RCPI).

NRC process continues at snail’s pace 

Meanwhile, data shows that a number of cases remain pending. As per an affidavit submitted by the Union Government to the Supreme Court on December 11, 2023, it has been stated that till October 31, 2023, a total of 3,34,966 cases had been disposed of by the 100 Foreigners’ Tribunals operational in Assam. In addition to this, the affidavit stated that a total of 97,714 cases remained pending in the FTs. Furthermore, it was also stated that till December 2023, 1,8,461 cases arising out of FTs had been pending before the Gauhati High Court.

The Foreigners’ Tribunals are quasi-judicial bodies in Assam to decide the status of an individual as Indian or foreigner. Its members can be a retired judicial officer of the Assam Judicial Service, a retired civil servant or an advocate with a minimum of seven years of experience.

The NRC has been done under the supervision of the Supreme Court by employing more than 55,000 government employees after multiple hearings, re-verification and examination.

What of the people of Assam?

An important point above all is that while NRC was published at the expense of public funds from taxpayers, the people of Assam have been stuck in the citizenship crisis. Despite doing all the required procedures, the names of about 42 lakhs people were excluded from the first draft list. Ever after that the people of Assam have given their complete cooperation without any agitation or expression of frustration demanding for a permanent solution.

In the name of claim and objection, religious minorities and linguistic minorities, especially Bengali-speaking Muslims and Bengali speaking Hindus have been continuously harassed, facing severe socio-economic hurdles and psychological despair.

A number of people have even been driver to suicide, thinking that their name off the NRC means that their life is finished. Citizens for Justice and Peace has observed that over 29 people have died in detention camps in the state. Meanwhile, more than a hundred people have lost their lives while struggling to prove their citizenship, as they hang between the label of de-voters, FT cases, detention camps, NRC etc.

However, the names of more than 19 lakhs people have been excluded from the final NRC. Many have pointed out loopholes in the list. Shockingly, in several cases the names of the parents are included though children were excluded. Similarly some members of the family were included, while other members of the same family were excluded for no known reason.

Furthermore, observers point out that the rejection slip to the 3 crores left out of the NRC is supposed to be given within 120 days. Yet it has now been almost 5 years, and no rejection slip is given nor is the reason for the exclusion of these individuals given.

Over 27 lakhs people in Assam have been deprived of their Aadhaar card due to the NRC process, where they provided their biometric details during the re-verification process. The issue is another one that the people of the state have been grappling with and is a huge issue for the marginalised, who face the brunt of the NRC process. In the run up to the general assembly elections of 2024, civil society groups of Assam demanded for the Aadhaar card of these 27 lakhs to be issued at the earliest.

Therefore, as the people of Assam grapple with these issues, it is yet to be seen whether the plea by Hitesh Dev Sarma, who is said to be close to the BJP, will be heard.

Related:

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SC directs Centre to deport 17 foreigners detained in Assam Detention Centre

Assam gov’t adamant on NRC reverification

Was the entire Assam NRC process in vain?

Yet another NRC reverification plea moved before SC

The post Former NRC State Coordinator of Assam urges PM Modi for re-verification of NRC appeared first on SabrangIndia.

“Miscreamts” also set fire to the houses of Mr. Pawan Bora, Prabin Gogoi and Yadav Bora from same political party were set on fire by miscreants last night around 11 pm.

In his Facebook post Lurin Jyoti Gogoi who is Central president of Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) and the Candidate of Dibrugarh Parliamentary Constituency of INDIA alliance responded “Lurin Jyoti Gogoi responded to the Facebook post, “I condemn this cowardice, and demand that the perpetrators be arrested and brought to justice soon.”

He added, “I tell every worker and supporter of the Assam Jatiya Parishad, such atrocities will continue against us But no one can break our morale We are fighting for the survival and restoration of the dignity for the community. Unable to withstand democratic competition with us, the anti-democratic evil forces have resorted to such misdeeds to break the morale of our workers. But they cannot succeed they can’t dissuade us we will break down thousands of such barriers and move towards achieving our goals.”

First phase polls in Assam:

On April 19 the first phase polls has in Assam for five (5) parliamentary constituency – Jorhat, Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Kaziranga, Sonitpur and Lakkhimpur.

In the 10,001 polling booths of these five constituencies, there are total 86, 47,869 voters decide the fate of thirty five (35) candidates. Out of this total number of voters there are 42,82,887 male, 43,64,859 female and 123 third gender voters.

Two high profile leaders at the national level also contesting in the first phase. One is Gaurav Gogoi, the Deputy leader of the opposition party and firebrand vocal parliament who has filled nomination from Jorhat parliamentary constituency and is locked in contest with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s sitting MP and former All Assam Students Union( AASU) leader Tapan Gogoi.

The present Union Minister, former AASU president and former chief minister of Assam Sarbananda Sonowal from the Dibrugarh parliamentary constituency is pitted against another former AASU leader, present president of Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP). For the INDIA alliance is the candidate from the United Opposition Forum Assam candidate Lurin Jyoti Goigoi. Another candidate in the fray is the  Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)’s candidate  Manoj Dhanowar, who has been widely campaigning in the Tea Garden areas.

In Sonitpur, Kajiranga and Lakhimpur, the contest is likely to boil down to one between the Congress versus the BJP. Interestingly in the Kaziranga Parliamentary Constituency, both the BJP and Congress have fielded candidates from tea workers community. The Congress candidate is MLA and women leader Roselina Tirkey while the BJP has fielded its Rajay Sabha Member of Parliament (MP), Kamkhya Prasad Tasa.

The last few days have seen a volatile and high profile election campaign. Priyanka Gandhi, Narendra Modi and Mamata Banerjee have all campaigned for their candidates for the first round of polls today.

On Tuesday, April 17, Priyanka Gandhi came to Assam and did a roadshow in Sivasagar at Titabor area for Gaurav Gogoi. Despite the bad weather Ms Gandhi interacted with enthusiastic people and deliver the message of Nyay Patha. She spoke of the “Five Justice Promises (Nyay) that the Congress manifesto talks about. It is notable that her speeches concentrated on development, unemployment, price hike and social justice.

असम के मेरे प्यारे भाई-बहनो! बोहाग बिहू की हार्दिक शुभकामनाएं।

हर नये साल पर आप नये संकल्प लेते हैं। इस बार संकल्प लीजिए कि जो सरकार आपकी संस्कृति, विरासत पर हमले कर रही है, उसे हटाना है और एक ऐसी सरकार लानी है जो आपकी संस्कृति की रक्षा करे, आपके बच्चों को रोजगार दे, महिलाओं,… pic.twitter.com/LJ5pR5098T

— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) April 16, 2024

Prime Minister Modi who also did a roadshow through the GS Road of Guwahati city in Assam. He was accompanied by Assam chief minister, Himanta Biswas Sarma and other leaders of BJP Assam. The roadshow sparked controversy among the netizens in comparison to the Rahul Gandhi’s Nyay Yatra. It may be recalled that when Rahul Gandhi wanted to walk in the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra which started from Manipur and ended in Mumbai, his original plan was to pass through the city of Guwahati. However, Assam CM and DSP of Assam denied him the permission citing the traffic (sic). Sarma went as far as to “warn” Rahul Gandhi and his team they would face legal action if the Yatra passes through the city. The same CM could be seen with the Prime Minister last Tuesday on the GS Road which happens to be the busiest in the city of Guwahati. Many roads were blocked and barricades where put in several points cause huge difficulties for daily commuters.

This selective governance was the matter of much speculation, especially as Modi claims “India is the mother of democracy”.

Meanwhile, several democratic organisations and intellectuals, advocates, have in these Lok Sabha polls urged that all Assamese people votes for the INDIA alliance.

Today the focus in Assam is on the Jorhat Constituency because of Gaurav. Gaurav whose is seen as the rising star from the North East region. Though results will determine the outcome, the sentiment runs high that the victory of Gaurav Gogoi means a victory for Assam.

Meanwhile,in Dibrugarh, the battle is between  Sarbananda Sonowal of the BJP and the rest.  Despite the use of money and muscle power by the regime, independent calls have been made for voting against Sonowal on the question of ‘Save Constitution and Democracy.” Democratic-mined people have appealed to voters to cast their valuable votes against the CAA 2019 and allegedly “corrupt BJP.” In some areas of the Dibrugarh Lok Sabha constituency, the CPIM (L) held a large rally in support of Lurin Jyoti Gogoi which has added another dimension.

Link of CPIM(L) ‘s rally.

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The post Assam: Arson in Dibrugarh on the eve of polls, first round of polls today appeared first on SabrangIndia.

It was in March 2020, Seje Bala Ghosh, a 73-year old, a widow resident of North Bongaigaon (Ward 10) of Assam was served a “declared foreigners notice” demanding that she appear before a Foreigners’ Tribunal (FT) in Assam never mind the fact that her name had appeared in the final draft list of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) released on August 31, 2019.

Yesterday, November 21, after she collected the order from the FT, she was all smiles and then, after reaching home with Team CJP, there was time for reminiscing. “My mother contributed 50 rupees to the Indian Defence Fund during the War. At the time, 50 rupees had a huge value. We could buy four kilograms of rice only at 1 rupee at that time. Our father used to send us to the local shop to buy this. We could buy 250 ml of oil only at One Anna!”

Suddenly, on a sombre note, with lips trembling, she emotionally recalled, “At the age of 73 years, this government has made me go to Court. Maybe this was written in my destiny. But Bhagwan (God) will make them pay. I will not say anything more, Bhagwan is watching everything, I had to suffer a lot, my hand and my foot were fractured due to the intense harassment caused by this case.”

She further added, “It’s not enough that I am declared an Indian. The fact that I had to go to a Court for this is so shameful for me and I will never forget this because I am not a Bangladeshi!”

Dignified and proud, 73 year-old, Seje Bala Ghosh has a particularly interesting and illustrious ancestry.

Her father Lt. Digendra Chandra Ghosh, was a close associate of the prominent revolutionary freedom fighter Chandra Sekhar Azad.

With such an illustrious legacy and upbringing, she walked with her head held high. Then came the vicarious “notice” that cast the “Bangladeshi slur” on her, made Seje Bala feel ashamed, compelled as she was to “prove” her “Indian citizenship”. Since March of 2020, until November 2023, three years and eight months after the shocker from the Tribunal, volunteers and lawyers of Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) worked with her. And, finally she was declared Indian! Yesterday, on November 21, we formally received the written copy of the order that had been orally pronounced earler this month.

1 of 3

 

On behalf of team CJP, Assam state-in-charge Nanda Ghosh (author of this piece), legal team member and advocate, Dewan Abdur Rahim and his junior advocate Sahidur Rahman handed over the copy of the judgement to her.

CJP has, in the sixth year of its work in Assam assisted dozens of persons obtain or retain their citizenship status in Assam besides leading class action cases in the Gauhati High Court and the Supreme Court.

Brief background of Seje Bala’s case:

Seje Bala’s father, Digendra Ghosh, moved to Assam from the Sherpur town in the erstwhile Maymonshing district of what was then called East Pakistan. According to the refugee registration certificate dated March 7, 1951, Digendra Chandra Ghosh, son of Padma, is duly registered as refugee along with his four other family members. The refugee certificate bears the official seal and is signed by Deputy Commissioner of the then Goalpara District of Assam.

The family registered as refugees and took shelter in Bongaigaon. Their names were included in the 1951 NRC enumeration in Bongaigaon. The names included in 1951 NRC of her family were of the father of Seje Bala Ghosh, Digendra Chandra Ghosh her elder brother Dhiren Ghosh a.k.a Manik Ghosh, her elder sisters Manada a.k.a Usharani Ghosh and Sudharani Ghosh. It needs mention here that the name of her mother Barada Bala Ghosh was not included in the 1951 NRC as she had –at the time —gone to her natal home (parental home) due to her pregnancy.

Barely a few days later, Seje Bala Ghosh was born at her maternal grandfather’s house in Bilashipara of Goalpara District, according to Sudharani Ghosh and Usharani Ghosh (her sisters) who are still living. To continue the narrative of this beleaguered family, after staying for a few days in a refugee camp at Bongaigaon, the family shifted to Darrang District. Digendra Chandra Ghosh as well as his four other sons and daughters had also been issued a passport in the year 1960. The address of Digendra Chandra Ghosh in his passport was recorded as resident of village Balagora, PS- Mangaldoi in the undivided Darrang district.

Seje Bala Ghosh and her younger brother Haribhakta Ghosh informed CJP that their father died in 1961 in that village. The names of Barada Bala Ghosh, wife of Digendra Chandra Ghosh and Manik Ghosh son of late Digendra Chandra Ghosh were both thereafter included in the 1966 voter list with the same address from where the passport of Digendra Chandra Ghosh has been issued. The two persons who were included in the 1966 voter list are the mother and elder brother of Seje Bala Ghosh respectively.

CJP’s efforts

After CJP had taken up her case we set about compiling all her documents. She was asked to appear for the hearing at a Foreigners’ Tribunal (FT) but it was not easy.  One of her sons had died, and the other has not been able to find any work due to the Covid-19 lockdown at the time. The family was barely surviving and mostly due to the kindness of neighbours and a nephew.  Meanwhile, tragically, Seje Bala’s health had deteriorated significantly. When she learnt about the possibility of an impending FT hearing on the question of her citizenship after the lockdown had been lifted, she fainted and fell to the ground, in shock, fracturing her arm in the process!

“I cannot eat because of the tension. I cannot sleep. I had to take sleeping pills,” Seje Bala told CJP’s Nanda Ghosh, recalling this traumatic period.

“Through this period, our team faced many challenges at the time of counselling her, offering reassurance and support. When Seje Bala was immobilised with a broken arm our senior woman team member, Papiya Das visited her as well, offering crucial mental health support. Advocate Dewan Abdur Rahim, who is a key member of our legal team actually visited her home several times to effectively complete the documentation process and complete other official formalities. On one day she even had to attend the hearing at the Tribunal with a broken arm and in a terribly sickly condition. ”

The legal battle in Seje Bala’s case

As mentioned above, it was after she received the dreaded notice from the Assam Border Police of Bongaigaon district that CJP’s Team shockingly found that she was “tagged” as a suspected foreigner hailing from Bangladesh after March 25, 1971! Our involvement and inquiries revealed that these baseless allegations by the Investigating Officer (IO) making such irresponsible noting(s) on her file, were and are false, concocted and made with an ulterior motive. Police personnel concerned never even once visited her house in connection with this case. Worse, the IO in the case never even recorded any statements from her and any other witnesses and submitted these (as is required by practice) along with the inquiry report to the Tribunal.

To further pin-point both procedural and substantive malafide by the IO, the name and statements of so called witnesses, that the CJP Team found tagged with the case record were nothing but motivated by a desire to make out a false case. At the time of investigation (post 2004), the IO in this case had not even issued any notice to Seje Bala  to ensure her appearance before the Tribunal with required documents to prove her citizenship as is required under law.

So, first, the IO simply submitted a concocted (or false) inquiry report without any investigation against her. Thereafter, the IO has not even taken the trouble to acquire and then submit any documents from her — passport and/or any other documents— along with the inquiry report in the case that actually demonstrate that she is a foreign national.

Finally, Seje Bala Ghosh had to undergo this physical and procedural harassment – alleviated only thanks to CJP – despite the fact that this case is barred by the law of limitation. The case was initially “registered” in the year 2004 (states the order of the Superintendent of Police (SP) (Bongaigaon).  Yet Seje Bala Ghosh received a 2004 notice, during the Covid-19 lockdown, in March 2020, 20 years after the so-called “investigation” had been conducted.

A victory at last! But at what cost? 

Is Seje Bala a Bangladeshi?

We at Team CJP have been persistently active on the ground addressing the Citizenship Crisis. Our experience has found that it is hapless, marginalised Indians, especially women, who are targeted and harassed, viciously slurred with the label of “Bangladeshi.”

CJP has already helped several such victims “declared Indian” before the Foreigners Tribunals after grueling and patient intervention and work.

So this too, finally, is another CJP victory achieved in the first week of November, 2023, Seje Bala Ghosh has been declared Indian (not foreigner or Bangladeshi)! However we finally received the order only on November 21, 2023 from the Tribunal. So, on behalf of team CJP, Assam state-in-charge, Nanda Ghosh, legal team member, advocate Dewan Abdur Rahim and his junior advocate, Sahidur Rahman, took Seje Bala Ghosh to complete final formalities and then handed over the copy of the judgement.

November 21 will (hopefully) be the last day that Seje Bala will ever have to visit the dreaded Foreigner’s Tribunal. After completion of all official formalities, Nanda Ghosh and Ashikul Hussain drooped her home.

“Before that, every time the team met her over the past three years and eight months, Seje Bala would be in tears. Yesterday, November 21, she was a changed person, talking and smiling a lot, looking well and healthy.”  When CJP Secretary, Teesta Setalvad congratulated her over the phone, she showered the entire CJP team with prayers and best wishes.

Before we returned back to our homes, we spent some time with her. “I don’t know what to say! I have been severely harassed and I have to acknowledge that thanks to Baba (referring to both CJP volunteers and her nephew) I finally got my justice today, after more than three years. My advocate (Dewan Abdur Rahim) was also very supportive. I pray for you all, stay well!

The order may be viewed here:

Related:

Seje Bala Ghosh: Freedom fighter’s daughter asked to prove that she’s Indian!

Ailing daughter of freedom fighter forced to appear before foreigners’ tribunals

This ‘suspected foreigner’ has a Chandrashekhar Azad Link

The post How Seje Bala Ghosh, a freedom fighter’s daughter slurred as Bangladeshi is finally declared Indian appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Following the tragic Dhalpur eviction and the brutal killing of Sheikh Farid and Mainul Haque by personnel of the Assam Police as they opened fire on Gorukhuti villagers who were protesting their forced eviction, there has been widespread outrage in the state.However, many places located in Barak and Brahmaputra Valley have now become the new targets ofthese state sponsored illegal eviction drives.

The eviction drives of the Sarma government, which clearly targets the Muslim community, have been running unregulated in the state. In December 2022, during the winter session of the Assam Legislative Assembly, which was held immediately after the evacuation ofBatadraba, Assam’s Nagoan district.Even at the time, the legislators of the opposition had raised the issue in the Assembly, but the Chief Minister HimantaBiswaSarmahad clearly, with the air of impunity, had stated that these eviction drives are to clear government and forest land in Assam, and will continue as long as the BJP governs the state.

On February 15, 2023, with a huge posse of armed security personnel, the Sonitpur district administration had started the most recent eviction drives. The said eviction drive is slated to be carried out on nearly 1,892 hectares of land at the BurhaChapori Wildlife Sanctuary, located on the southern bank of the Brahmaputra River.

According to the administration of Sanitpur district,the drive will continue for three days. It is pertinent to mention that a huge number of Assam Police and the CRPF, along with staffers from civil administration and the forest department, are engaged in the carrying out of this exercise. 

Harkumar Goswami, convener of forum for social harmony, prominent social worker and writer, strongly opposed this inhumane eviction drives. Speaking with the Sabrang India team, he said that “Poor farmers and laborers have been and are being targeted in the name of squatter eviction from government land. Most of the eviction victims are also river erosion landless people. Instead of giving land and the patta, this government continues to evict them one by one”. 

He continued, “The government has evicted poor farmers,especially from the Muslim areas, while on the other hand, they have given lakhs of bigha land to businessmen like Baba Ramdev and others in last two years.”

He then added that, “The democratic and secular people should get together andstart a democratic movement against these inhumane evictions, and the fascist BJP government.”

Meanwhile, students preparing to take the Assam Board’s final examination leveled serious accusations against the Assam Police Force and their actions. One student was heard saying that “Are these people police or thugs? They are beating up students, and one has already been taken to the hospital after a police officer broke his head with a stick.”

One female student claimed, “Male police officers pushed the girls and other women, and also touched them inappropriately.”

Another female student bemoaned, “Our exam is approaching, how will we study now with all of this going on? They are sabotaging our future.” “We are told to read now because they destroyed our houses; how could we read now?” she continued.

Full video can be viewed here: 

On the other hand, a woman could be seen pleading to the administration, asking for some time. She said, “Give us 4 to 5 days to take away our belongings, we are losing everything, we have worked hard to grow vegetables and now we are in huge loss.

She went on, “If you (the government) extract us, we will be forced to stay on the riverbank. We are erosion victims; we used to live in Char, but now we have no land.” Questioning and requesting the Authority, the woman said, “You are extracting us now give us some land to stay or where will we go?”

Sharing the sentiments, another woman, who was a mother, could be seen making a similar appeal to the authorities, saying “The exam is approaching, and the children are unable to study,”

Another farmer from the evicted area raised some serious concerns. He said, “We had all planted vegetables worth crores of rupees, and the eviction destroyed the fields. As a result, the price of vegetables in the town or city will skyrocket.”

He also added, “They (the administration) harass us by terming us ‘Bangladeshis’. Every time, the word is used for the Muslims living in the state, even though we are India. Why doesn’t the government conduct a survey in the village to find out who is actually a Bangladeshi? If they find one, throw that person out, we will raise no objections.”

Full video can be viewed here: 

It is critical to note that when Congress MLA Nurul Huda visited the eviction site, the media, he had stated “I couldn’t find a Magistrate Level Office where I could speak. Only the forest department is involved in the drive.” 

He also displayed some tax receipts and claimed, “Since 1963, the government has been collecting taxes from these people. If it is forest land, why were these lands given to these people and taxed?”

Furthermore, as was provided by the District Volunteer Members and community volunteers of Dhubri district, another eviction notice was hung in the Golokganj Circle Office under Dhubri district today.

The said notice read as follows: It here by notified to all that a 127(B) four-way road construction is going on. Therefore, all are requested to shift their house, shops, Temples, Mosques, schools, colleges or any organisational building or wall or any other illegal building on the government land, which comes under the radius of 150 feet, within 48 hours post the publication of this notice. Otherwise, as per the direction of the Deputy Commissioner, an eviction drive will be continued as per law. The eviction notice is signed by the Circle Officer of the Golokganj Circle Office.

The copy of the notice can be viewed here: 

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Political functionaries spew hate against minority: Assam

The post Assam: Mass evictions continue as approximately 2500 Bengali-speaking Muslim families get displaced; pleas go unheard appeared first on SabrangIndia.

The government plans to open temporary jails, including the Matia Transit Camp in Goalpara district. However, marginalized communities are terrified throughout the state. Tragically, in Jhaudanga Puber village, Mankachar-South Salmara district, a widow named Khushbu Begum took her own life out of fear of being arrested. Families are protesting the arrests and questioning the crackdown on child marriage in Assam.

Three more lives have been lost as a result of the crackdown on child marriage in Assam. Ayna Bibi, a woman from Ramraikuti village in Dhubri district, committed suicide on February 10. Her two children were married before the age of 18 and she was trying to prevent their arrest. However, when she ran out of options, she became frightened and took her own life. (Source: CJP district and community volunteers)

A tragic incident occurred in Karimganj district, as reported by community volunteers and a local web portal. A two-month-old child died as a result of the action against child marriage by the Assam Government. The incident took place at Krishna Nagar village of Boruwala GP under Ratabari police station of Karimganj district in Assam. The child’s mother carried the infant from home to police station and back on a cold night, and the child ultimately passed away.

As per reports from community volunteers and a local web portal, the Ratabari police went to arrest Asish Namasudra for allegedly marrying a girl named Sweety Namasudra who was below 18 years of age. However, in Asish’s absence, the police arrested his father, Digendra Namasudra, who was the main earner for their small family. Sweety, Asish’s wife, couldn’t bear the fact that her father-in-law had been arrested and went to the police station with her two-month-old son. She spent day and night pleading with the police, showing them proof of her age and stating that she was above 18 at the time of her marriage. Unfortunately, this ordeal proved to be too much for the little child and ended up becoming a curse for him.

Although she was able to secure the release of her father-in-law from the police station by providing age proof documents, her son became ill soon after their return home at midnight. Unfortunately, her two-month-old son passed away at around 3 AM that same night. The reason for the child’s death is still unclear, but the family believes it was due to the stress of the situation they had been through. They were unable to take the child to the hospital. The family is in shock. At the time of the arrest, the police did not take notice of the age proof documents provided by the family. According to Digendra Namasudra, “The police did not look at the papers. They said that whether we had the documents or not, we had to go with them. And our son and daughter-in-law also had to come to the police station.”

The grandmother of the deceased is seeking justice for her grandson’s death, saying that money cannot bring him back. She pleaded with the Chief Minister of Assam for justice and expressed her pain by rolling on the floor. Her emotional outburst has raised questions on police proceedings with common people.

According to India Today NE, a 17-year-old girl from Khaspur village in Cachar district, Assam, killed herself after her parents refused to allow her to marry the man she was in love with. Her parents had promised to get them married but later denied due to the crackdown on child marriage. The Assam Chief Minister recently stated that if this generation endures some hardships, future generations will reap the benefits.

Related:

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Assam: New criteria for government jobs singling out minorities?

The post Crackdown on child marriage claims four lives, including three women and one child appeared first on SabrangIndia.

On November 14, 2022, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma ceremonially launched Mission Basundhara 2.0, a flagship scheme of government to redress all kinds of land issues. This scheme is one under which eight land-related services would be provided to people in the digital mode. In an announcement made earlier, Himanta Biswa Sarma had appealed to the people of the state who have land issues to settle to apply under Mission Basundhara 2.0. 

The new services under the Mission are settlement of government khas and ceiling surplus land, conferring ownership rights to occupancy tenants, settlement of transferred annual patta land, settlement of village grazing reserve and professional grazing reserve, settlement of land for indigenous special cultivators, settlement of hereditary land of tribal communities, composite land transfer service and online payment of land revenue.

He had also highlighted that during the first phase of Mission Basundhara, which was launched in October, 2021 and continued till May, 2022, nearly 600,000 applicants had availed the benefits. Meanwhile land revenue collection would soon become online for all over the Assam. While this could have been an effort towards ensuring that everyone gets their right, the CM announced that under this scheme, the “encroachers” will not be entertained. 

Video link from HBS official  Facebook live is as follows: https://fb.watch/gPIGrrNWQY/?mibextid=iujhyo

From his speech, we have extracted and translated a certain portion (2 minutes 27 seconds) from 40 Minutes 03 seconds to 42 Minutes 30. 

In his speech, Himanta said, “Indigenous people will get land rights and for that they should have resided in the land for three generations. The new mission will not encourage encroachers and anyone encouraging the same  will be dealt with according to law.” 

Defining an Assamese village, Himanta Biswa Sarma warned some Circle Office of giving Land Patta, “I am intentionally saying this for two, three circle officers that we should be smart but not over smart, such as going to Gorukhuti to provide Patta.”

 He added, “We will only provide to original inhabitants of the village, irrespective of any caste or community.”  He later give the definition of the original inhabited village as “Assamese, Manipuri, a Bengali from Varak Valley could be original inhabitants and,as per the definition in the Forest Land, that individual has to be here for three generations.” 

Finally, he also announced that “provide the patta to the village where three generations have been living.”

Now the question that arises is that who are these indigenous people of Assam that Himanta is referring to? Additionally, who are the “encroachers” that will be left out of this scheme? Has the CM considered those millions of people are displaced every year due to floods in Assam? In which category will they fit?

Furthermore, what will happen about the patta to the Bengali speaking people of the Brahmaputra valley? Specially Bengali speaking Muslim those who live in Char areas. As can be deduced from his speech, the politics of discrimination is out in the open. 

In his speech, Biswa again warned that, “Provide the Patta to the village where three generations have been living, but do notmake the mistake of providing it to these so called encroachers.” 

Through his speech, he has made it very clear that mission Basundhara 2 will not provide any land to “encroachers” never mind how self limiting the definition is. He further directed the District Commissioner to specifying the district. He has said “All District Commissioners should make it crystal clear that this Basundhara 2 will not encourage any organised encroachment.” 

Continuing with his speech, he further threatened that, “If anybody goes beyond the decision of the government or ‘over stepping’ it, they will face strong action accordance to law. DC Dhubri, DC Goalpara, DC Barpeta, DC Nagaon, DC Morigaon please be sure, this will not give any legitimacy to any encroachers.” The CM later categorically made it a point to pronounce the names of the other districts.

In response to this speech by Biswa, Abdul Khaleque, Congress leader from Assam and the member of parliament of Barpeta Lok  sabha constituency, reacted on twitter, “When a Chief Minister doesn’t want to be the Chief Minister of each and every person of the state irrespective of their caste, creed, race,religion and language, that state can’t prosper . 

He further wrote, “মই নাজানো ভগৱানে কেতিয়া আমাৰ মুখ্যমন্ত্ৰী@himantabiswa মহোদয়ক সুমতি দিব?” (I don’t know when will God give good sense to our Chief Minister @himantabiswa sir?)

Here is the link of twitter: https://twitter.com/MPAbdulKhaleque/status/1592381231257505792?t=GXHuhaCl7gKWhjDPzRr50w&s=19

When a Chief Minister doesn’t want to become Chief Minister of each and every person of the state irrespective of caste, creed , race religion and language that state can’t prosper . মই নাজানো
ভগৱানে কেতিয়া আমাৰ মুখ্যমন্ত্ৰী @himantabiswa মহোদয়ক সুমতি দিব ?

— Abdul Khaleque (@MPAbdulKhaleque) November 15, 2022

Previous incidents supporting hate:

In this incident, a newly established Miya Museum, set up in the Goalpara district of Assam was inaugurated on October 23. On October 25, the Miya Museum was sealed just day after the inauguration. Two leaders of the community, including the person who set up the museum, were also detained. These developments on October 25 were, predictably, preceded by a string of hate speeches made targeting Bengali Muslims and their culture. The first such, was made by controversial former MLA of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Shiladitya Dev and then followed by another made by the chief minister, Hemanta Biswas Sarma himself.

Assam’s chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stood behind Dev, and also added fuel to the fire. He said, “I don’t know what kind of Museum it is, there is nothing new except the lungi (loin cloth). All the others like plough or fish hunting tools are being used in Assam for centuries. They have to face the law as they took (snatched) these things from the Assamese people and put them up in ‘their’ Museum, if they want to keep these items there, then they have to produce a valid inscription.”

Addressing intellectuals from Assam at a press conference on the issue, Sarma said: “Now is the time for Assamese intellectuals to think. When I (earlier) criticised Miya poetry they called me communal. Now there is miya poem, miya school, miya museum.”  He took on the very idea if a Miya Museum and said, “I was saying about these threads earlier. They have to answer to this government about the things they have preserved because they took the Gamosa (gancha) from Deshi people. After the holidays action will take place.”

(https://fb.watch/goF52rMJwS/; 5.30 p.m. to 6 p.m., October 25)

Sarma also spoke about three important tasks, he stated, “Number one, They have to give historical data that plough is only used by the Miyas. Second part is from where have they got the money for this museum, they must reveal details to the police and police will investigate. Thirdly, intellectuals should now address this issue, I only faced flak earlier.”

He further commented on the items on display at the Museum, “I understand the lungi is their original contribution but all others like fish hunting tools, we have already preserved those as part of Brahmaputra Heritage. Now they have to answer which one is their original symbol of representation? ” He also alleged, “Deshi people saying that their Gamosa has been stolen from them and ‘claimed’ by Miya Muslims there.”

He lastly spoke about the contentious issue of demography, that is “Muslim-majority districts!  “You have already known about eight districts and their condition. If someone place something on their homes, how many houses can the government evict? So there should be a cultural, political protest against this attitude.”

He ended his exhortation with suggestions for the wider Assamese Community, “Moreover, the Assamese community should think about the resistance to these tendencies; in the coming days we may face more such challenges. If you see the voter list of Barpeta district some 50 years ago, you will find out that there were historic places in almost all villages by name but everything has ‘disappeared’ now. I have spoken about the Barpeta Satra too, but many ‘Assamese intellectuals’ have criticised me. They (Miya Muslims) are holding 1/3 of all lands in Assam, the government can demolish one house but how many more can we do. There should be a spontaneous resistance from the people.”

In early 2021, as the State approaches the Assembly polls, Hemant Biswa Sarma had said that the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) does not need votes from the Bengali origin Muslim community in Assam to win the elections, and accused them of “openly challenging Assamese culture, language and the composite Indian culture”, as reported by the Indian Express

Related:

Political functionaries spew hate against minority: Assam

Don’t need Miya Muslim vote: Himanta Biswa Sarma

Multiple FIRs against BJP MLA Shiladitya Dev’s Hate Speech: Assam

CJP moves NCM against Shiladitya Dev for targeting the ‘Miya Muslim’ community of Assam

The post Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma excludes “encroachers” from Mission Bashundhara 2.0 appeared first on SabrangIndia.

The election promise of the state government was to provide jobs to 1 lakh unemployed youth of Assam but in reality the Assam government appears busy doing just the opposite.

The Assam State Primary Teachers’ Association (ASPTA) has reacted sharply and critically to the Assam government’s decision to unilaterally abolish the posts of 8,000 primary school teachers claiming that posts are lying vacant. On November 7, 2022, Dr Bijaya Choudhary, secretary to the government of Assam formally announced the decision taken by the Assam cabinet on May 26, 2020.

General Secretary of ASPTA, Ratul Goswami reacting sharply told the media , “Assam needs more teachers in the government sector, as around 3,000 government-run elementary schools still have one or two teachers. Why can’t the government absorb the contractual teachers into theregular (permanent) posts instead of abolishing the regular posts altogether?”

A recent survey conducted by the Assam State Primary Teachers Association (ASPTA) in March 2022 revealed shockingly, that there are 1,664 lower primary schools in the state that are running in a single room and altogether 3,716 schools are running with just a single teacher in the state. The survey covered 33,829 lower primary schools located in 51 sub divisions of all 32 districts of the state. Moreover, around 10,000 lower primary schools don’t have any electricity connection and thousands of schools in Assam dint have sanitization facilities, reveals the report.

After the announcement by the education secretary, the state education minister of Assam Ranoj Pegu also confirmed the decision and cited reasons that were vague and inspiring. He said that these posts were being abolished to “avoid duplicity and financial neutrality.” 

Govt of Assam had decided in 2020 to offer regular pay scale, along with all other benefits, including service upto 60 years, to 11206 LP/UP teachers working under SSA. 1/4 @himantabiswa

— Ranoj Pegu (@ranojpeguassam) November 8, 2022

Prominent Assamese intellectual and social scientist Dr. Hiren Gohain told Sabrangindia, “Our unemployed youth are hopping that they will find job. That means that theGoverment should increase posts. But it is unfortunate that, on the contrary, the government wants to weaken the education system. As a result of such decisions, common people will be greatly affected. This will weaken the institution of public education. Then people will be forced to go for private education, which is a perilous path as we know.”

This decision of the Assam government has evinced a reaction of indignation and criticism in Assamese circles. Tragically however, the political opposition in the state has not articulated any position on the issue nor launched any agitations or protests.

However the Students Federations of India (SFI) and DYFI have not only issued statements but have planned to launch agitations too. SFI’s representative, Sangita Das and DYFI Assam state secretary Ritu Ranjan Das have jointly released a press statement. The government has decided to hit at the future of educated youth of the state with this decision, the statement says while thousands of TET candidates have been hopeful for jobs in the teaching profession. The statement also alleges that the state government’s financial situation is in deep crisis due to overspending, and unplanned and unproductive sectors. This is what has led the BJP government in the state to abolish the permanent posts of teachers. The DYFI and SFI have announced that they will launch protests soon if the BJP-led Assam government does not cancel the anti-education and anti-employment decision. 

Both organisations have also appealed to TET candidates, teachers and conscious people to protest against the government’s stubborn decision.

Meanwhile, Abul Kalam Azad, Education Secratary of All Assam Minority Students Union (AAMSU) told Sabrangindia, “Government has taken the decision to reduce the burden of loan (deficit). It is very sad that the government has destroyed the permanent posts for it. We at AAMSU strongly condemned it.”

 He also added that, “When most of the schools are running with single teacher at the same time this unilateral decision is not acceptable.” AAMSU has demanded a reconsideration of this decision.

Meanwhile, Brojogopal Sarkar, General Secretary of All BTR Bengali Youth Students’ Fedaration (ABBYSF) told Sabrangindia, “We strongly condemn this outrageousdecision. This is another step towards the privatisation of all sectors, this time by destroying governmental education system.”  He also commented that, “it will basically affected the rural poor people of Assam.” 

He continued, “it’s a clear conspiracy to destroy the Bengali, Bodo, Assamese and other vernacular medium of languages.”

The All Assam Students Union (AASU) claimed that the BJP government in Assam has sounded a death knell to vernacular medium institutions in the state.

Since teacher and youth organisations have come together to articulate an opposition and left organisations have also vocalised their protest, it is to be seen whether the Assam government yields to public condemnation and outrage.

Related:

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Direct funds to guardians solves nothing: UP activists on gov’t education
33% Teaching Posts Vacant, Indian University Crisis Hits Rankings, Teaching, Research

The post Broken promises: Assam govt’s decision to abolish 8,000 teaching posts widely condemned appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Once again, the epithet, Miya Muslim, has generated controversy and let loose a string of hate and targeted speech, that too emanating from some influential personalities in Assam. After being inaugurated on October 23, the district authorities in the Goalpara district of Assam on Tuesday, October 25 sealed a museum dedicated to the Miya Muslim community on allegations of wrongful use of the premises, officials told the media. The museum had been inaugurated just two days before, on October 23.

Two leaders of the community, including the person who set up the museum, were also detained on Tuesday evening. They have been charged under provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and Indian Penal Code sections pertaining to criminal conspiracy and collecting arms with intention to wage war against the Union government!

These developments on October 25 were, predictably, preceded by a string of hate speeches made targeting Bengali Muslims and their culture. The first such, was made by controversial former MLA of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Shiladitya Dev and then followed by another made by the chief minister, Himanta Biswas Sarma himself.

Shiladitya Dev, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader who was previously the Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) from the Hojai unleashed words that were inciteful, provoking the wider community in the name of ‘Miya Museum’. Dev is a serial offender and even previous statements reported by Sabrangindia have been hate-ridden, made with a motive to fuel the communal tensions between communities. This was on October 24, the day after the museum was inaugurated. In Aug 2020, multiple FIRs had been filed against him by several groups and individuals for particularly inciteful speeches. At the time when he had been widely condemned by Assamese society he had dared
dubbed Assamese litterateur who happened to be a Muslim, an “intellectual jihadi.” 

He started his diatribe with, “Assam is filled with Miyas, so why there is need of Miya Museum, it should set on fire and set ablaze.” This was a brazen incitement to targeted violence. He then continued, “After the CAA protest, one section of community wants Miya Museum in Srimanta Shankardev Kalakhetrya specially one MLA.” This reference to one MLA, by Dev was meant to target Sherman Ali Ahmed. He also spoke of the origin of today’s Muslim, “90-99 out of 100 Muslims in Assam have been basically converted from the Hindu religion; even today, some of them still have a planted Tulsi plant in the verandas of their homes in upper Assam.” He also demanded that the authorities demolish the Miya Museum forthwith. 

There is worse. Shiladitya Dev also alleged, “In the name of ‘Grow More Food Project’ in 1936, the then government brought the Bengali speaking Muslims to the state. However there was a hidden agenda which was to increase the Muslim population in Assam and annexe Assam with East Pakistan. In this process they enrolled their names in the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and so on.” He also criticised, ” The Bengali speaking Muslim whom I refer as Bangladeshi Muslim, prove that they wants to establish the Bangladeshi culture not the Assamese  which is “Sonatani Culture” (Sanatani, upper caste Hindu) in Assam though they utter slogans like Jai Aai Axom (Hail mother  Assam).” “Lungi Tupi  (the lower garb and skull cap) cannot  be their identity, and indigenous Muslim also do not  wear that Lungi and Tupi.” He alleged that Miya Muslim people trying to establish Arabic Culture in Assam! 

Not stopping here, his hate rant goes even further. 

“Few days ago one Ismail Islam went to Majuli and went to eat inside a kitchen of a Satra. Santana Dharmis worship cow and a cow eater went into Satra, this is awful. If he wants to revert back to the faith of his origin let him do so completely.”  

[[Ismail Hussain ( junior) a writer of Assam went to a Satra ( monastery-cum- centre of traditional performing arts in Assam; this particular one is a reference to Sankrian i.e who believed the philosophy of  Srimanta Sankardev’s naba boishnab dharma) in Majuli District where Ismail Hussain partook of food in the kitchen of the satra.]] 

Dev also went on to say “Miya culture cannot be the culture of Assam so the Museum cannot be built here. The country was divided for Miyas on the basis of religion and, so if they want to build any such Museum then they should build it in Bangladesh or Pakistan. We won’t have any objections then.” 

Immediate Background

The word ‘Miya’ unleashes a fresh round of hate and a controversial debate ensues once again, in Assam again. A newly established Miya Museum, set up in the Goalpara district of Assam is is located at Dabkarvita in Lakhipur area. The inauguration program was held on October 23, and was attended by vast sections of the including the dignitaries of All Assam Miya Parisad.  

On October 25, the Miya Museum was sealed just day after the inauguration of it in Lakhipur of Goalpara district. The Museum was sealed by Rajiv Gagoi, the Circle officer of the Lakhipur. The official reason to seal it is yet to be known but it could be assumed that after the Statement of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma it was enacted. 

Miya Museum at Lakhipur sealed soon after CM @himantabiswa assured action.

— atanu bhuyan (@atanubhuyan) October 25, 2022

In a recent developments two professor from different colleges in Assam was arrested in allegedly connection with ban outfit. The Special DGP of Assam GP Singh tweet reads as follows: “Sri Mohar Ali of Goalpara & Sri Abdul Baten of Dhubri have been detained in connection with Ghograpar PS Case no.163/22, U/S- 120(B)/121/121(A)/122 IPC , R/W-Sec -10/13 UA(P) Act. Further investigation and interrogation would be carried out about their association with AQIS/ABT.”

Sri Mohar Ali of Goalpara & Sri Abdul Baten of Dhubri have been detained in connection with Ghograpar PS Case no.163/22, U/S- 120(B)/121/121(A)/122 IPC , R/W-Sec -10/13 UA(P) Act. Further investigation and interrogation would be carried out about their association with AQIS/ABT.

— GP Singh (@gpsinghips) October 25, 2022

Chief Minister Sarma weighs behind the hate

Not only were these statements problematic but even Assam’s chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma appears to have also added fuel to the fire. This was on the day after Shiladitya Dev’s rantings, on October 25. 

He said, “I don’t know what kind of Museum it is, there is nothing new except the lungi (loin cloth). All the others like plough or fish hunting tools are being used in Assam for centuries. They have to face the law as they took (snatched) these things from the Assamese people and put them up in ‘their’ Museum, if they want to keep these items there, then they have to produce a valid inscription.” 

Addressing intellectuals from Assam at a press conference on the issue, Sarma said: “Now is the time for Assamese intellectuals to think. When I (earlier) criticised Miya poetry they called me communal. Now there is miya poem, miya school, miya museum.”  He took on the very idea if a Miya Museum and said, “I was saying about these threads earlier. They have to answer to this government about the things they have preserved because they took the Gamosa (gancha) from Deshi people. After the holidays action will take place.” 

Not only were these statements problematic but even Assam’s chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma appears to have also added fuel to the fire. October 25, 2022)

Sarma also spoke about three important tasks, he stated, “Number one, They have to give historical data that plough is only used by the Miyas. Second part is from where have they got the money for this museum, they must reveal details to the police and police will investigate. Thirdly, intellectuals should now address this issue, I only faced flak earlier.” 

He further commented on the items on display at the Museum, “I understand the lungi is their original contribution but all others like fish hunting tools, we have already preserved those as part of Brahmaputra Heritage. Now they have to answer which one is their original symbol of representation? ” He also alleged, “Deshi people saying that their Gamosa has been stolen from them and ‘claimed’ by Miya Muslims there.”  

He lastly spoke about the contentious issue of demography, that is “Muslim- majority districts!  “You have already known about eight districts and their condition. If someone place something on their homes, how many houses can the government evict? So there should be a cultural, political protest against this attitude.” 

He ended his exhortation with suggestions for the wider Assamese Community, “Moreover, the Assamese community should think about the resistance to these tendencies; in the coming days we may face more such challenges. If you see the voter list of Barpeta district some 50 years ago, you will find out that there were historic places in almost all villages by name but everything has ‘disappeared’ now. I have spoken about the Barpeta Satra too, but many ‘Assamese intellectuals’ have criticised me. They (Miya Muslims) are holding 1/3 of all lands in Assam, the government can demolish one house but how many more can we do. There should be a spontaneous resistance from the people.” 

The issue and terminology, Miyas,  be it for the ‘Miya Museum’ or to define a section of self-acclaimed Muslims in Assam had also generated much debate in Assam in year 2020 when Congress MLA, Sherman Ali Ahmed  first proposed that a Miya Museum be established at the Srimanta Shankardev Kalakhetrya in Guwahati. He argued that Miya literally means ‘Sir’ or ‘Gentlemen’ and represents the Bengali Speaking Muslim especially, residing in Assam. The museum should be established to preserve the art and culture of the community, it was argued.  

However, this thought was resisted by large sections of the wider Assamese community, who have often assessed the terms in a chauvinistic manner. They expressed their ‘strong discomfort’ with the idea. Now, recent developments related to the Miya Museum unleashed by the ruling party BJP and its leaders, seen as majoritarian and chaunvinistic, have further, again targeted the Miya Community. The slogan, predictably is, ‘Assamese culture is in danger!’ 

In early 2021, as the State approaches the Assembly polls, Hemant Biswa Sarma said that the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) does not need votes from the Bengali origin Muslim community in Assam to win the elections, and accused them of “openly challenging Assamese culture, language and the composite Indian culture”, as reported by the Indian Express

If these are not brazen incitements to violence against a targeted section, it is a difficult to assess what is. With the state and administration under him, Sarma is playing with fire.

Related:

I Am ‘Miya’ — Reclaiming Identity Through Protest Poetry

Don’t need Miya Muslim vote: Himanta Biswa Sarma

Multiple FIRs against BJP MLA Shiladitya Dev’s Hate Speech: Assam

Hate Speech on FB is BJP’s weapon of choice in Assam: Report

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