Assam: State govt plans to conduct survey to identify indigenous Muslims
Guwahati
The Assam government is planning to conduct a survey to identify the indigenous Muslim population of the state in order to segregate them from illegal Bangladeshi immigrants.
The survey will be conducted to identify the people from Goria, Moria, Desi and Jola of the tea tribe community of the state, who are considered to be indigenous.
The Assam government has called a meeting regarding the socio-economic census of indigenous Muslims of the state – Goria, Moria, Ujani, Deshi, Jola, Maimal, Sayed, others — on February 11.
State minister Ranjit Kumar Dutta has said that in the meeting with various organisations of the communities in Guwahati, the plan to conduct survey will be finalised.
Various organisations and political parties including the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alleged that a large number of illegal Bangladeshis’ names were included in the final NRC list which was published on August 31 last year.
Assam Minority Development Board chairman Muminul Aowal said that the state has around 1.30 crore Muslim population and out of them around 90 lakh are of Bangladeshi origin.
“Out of 1.30 crore Muslim population, only 40 lakh are from different indigenous Muslim communities. The indigenous Muslims of Assam have faced many problems from the illegal Bangladeshi immigrants. They are deprived to get political rights and this has also affected their economy, education, cultural rights,” Muminul Aowal said.
“Various organisations from Goria, Moria, Desi and Jola of the tea tribe community have demanded the government to take appropriate action to protect them, to give constitutional protection and they are raising their voices since 2008. Now, the state government has a taken an initiative and will conduct a census and we welcome it,” Muminul Aowal said.
Muminul Aowal further said that the Goria, Moria, Deshi, Jola Muslims are living in Assam since the past few centuries and they are indigenous people of the state.
Muminul Aowal alleged that the NRC process has totally failed after a large number of Bangladeshis name have been included there.
“A large number of local people names were excluded from it and we can’t accept this NRC. We want the correct NRC list.
13 districts of the state are now dominated by the Bangladeshi Muslims. 28 Muslims MLAs from the AIUDF and the Congress are now in the Assam assembly and 14 Congress MLAs are from Bangladesh origin. There is only one MLA from Assamese Muslim community. The Congress in Assam has now become a Bangladeshi Muslim party,” Muminul Aowal said.
Muminul Aowal, who is also the convenor of Janagosthiya Samanway Parishad Asom (JSPA), said that the initiative for the development of the indigenous Muslims in the state will be taken after completing the census.
“The difference between the indigenous Muslims and Bangladeshi Muslims will be cleared after the census. It is necessary to identify the indigenous Muslims,” Muminul Aowal said.
