As Muslims ignored the hate speeches of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the 2024 Lok Sabha election campaigns that brought disgrace to the BJP, they must ignore Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s vitriolic remarks against the Muslims of Assam to ensure that his politics based on hate and divisiveness dies its natural death.
By Syed Khalique Ahmed
NEW DELHI: At a time when the majority of the people in Hindu-dominated Upper Assam are agitated over the rape of a 14-year-old Hindu girl allegedly by three Bengali-speaking Muslim boys and the state government should have initiated measures to bring the temperature down by organizing joint peace meetings involving Hindu and Muslim human rights activists, the state Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma added further fuel to the fire by saying that he “will take sides” and “will not let Miyan Muslims take over all of Assam”.
While making this statement in the State Assembly on August 27, 2024, Sarma challenged the Opposition leaders on the floor of the Assembly that they (the Opposition) could do what they wanted but that he would take sides when the Opposition leaders said that Sarma was dividing the people of Assam on communal lines by making remarks that he “will take side” of Hindus in this incident. The incident of gang rape happened on August 22.
Not only Sarma, many of his ministers are also going around the state whipping up communal tension. This is even though all elected MLAs and those appointed as ministers take the oath of loyalty to the Constitution of India that mandates that the state must protect the life, property, and dignity of all citizens, irrespective of faith, language, or region. But by declaring that he will take sides and not be objective in his dealings in the particular case involving two different religious communities, Sarma has broken the pledge he took at the time of taking the oath of a minister.
Sarma has been consistently using the term ‘Miyan’ to abuse the Bengali Muslims. While the Urdu word ‘Miya’ means a ‘gentleman’, it is a derogatory word in Assam. Sarma has also been trying to drive a wedge between Bengali-speaking Muslims and indigenous Assamese Muslims through his speeches from time to time. Since the Hindu population of Assam is allergic to Bengali speaking population in the state majority of whom happen to be migrants from West Bengal and only a small percentage are from Bangladesh, this helps Sarma and his BJP to seek support for the Indigenous Hindu population in favour of the BJP. However, all these things stepwise add to building an atmosphere of hate against Muslims, including indigenous Assamese Muslims. Sarma’s language of hate can have widespread repercussions across the country.
The result of such statements from the chief minister down to ministers has encouraged the local Hindu organizations in Upper Assam to ask “all Bangladeshis to leave Assam within seven days,” pointing to the identity of the accused who are said to be Bengali-speaking. They have clearly said that they would use force against them if they don’t vacate Upper Assam districts within the given time. Most of the Muslims, who are said to be about five percent of the total population in Upper Assam, are migrant labourers from Lower Assam districts and give their services to the people in Upper Assam which is more affluent than the Lower Assam region populated by Muslims. Since it is practically not possible for the Muslims en mass to leave the Upper Assam region where they earn their livelihood, a Manipur-like situation is likely to build up because of the provocative speeches of the Chief Minister and his colleagues. As the Muslims are in a very vulnerable position in Upper Assam, it may result in a huge loss of life and property to the Muslim community because of extremely provocative speeches of the chief minister.
The organizations that have issued a deadline to Muslims to leave Upper Assam include All Tai Ahom Students Union (ATASU), Asomiya Yuva Manch, Asomiya Mahila Manch, Bir Lachit Sena, All Assam Adivasi Students’ Union, Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti, Chhatra Mukti Sangram Samiti, Assam Sabbas Tribal Students’ Union, Garia Maria Desi Jatiya Parishad, Chutia Jati Yuva Sammelan, All Assam Chutia Students’ Union, All Assam Sonowal Kachari Students’ Union, Tai Ahom Youth Council, All Assam Sonowal Kachari Students’ Union, Tai Ahom Youth Council All Moran Students Union, Ahom Sena and others.
Sarma justifies the deadline call by saying that a protest by the same organisations was organised against the Marwari community when a fortnight ago some youths of the community had sexually assaulted an Assamese girl in the Sivasagar district. The protest ended after the Marwari community members knelt in a “public apology,” a local custom in Assam to seek an apology for one’s crimes.
So, what does Sarma want? While it is the job of the police and law and order maintaining agencies to take legal action against the accused involved in the gangrape case, the Chief Minister is indirectly insinuating the local population to humiliate the minority community by forcing them to apologise as was done by the Marwari community. Moreover, he is trying to communalise a stray incident of crime by identifying it with the entire Muslim community which is a very serious issue. Such suggestions make the minority community more vulnerable. It also amounts to dividing society on communal and religious lines.
Sarma’s remarks will add fuel to the fire
Sarma also made unwarranted remarks like Miya Muslims would take over all of Assam. It ill-behoves a chief minister, executive head of the state, to make such remarks. Instead of helping ease the tense situation under which the Upper Assam districts are currently passing, it will only worsen the situation. Who will be responsible if any large-scale violence erupts after baseless claims that Bengali-speaking Muslims are likely to surpass the Hindu population in the state? According to the 2011 Census, Muslims account for merely 33 percent of the state’s population, and given the declining fertility even among Muslims, it is only a Utopian dream that Muslims would ever make up the majority of the population in this Northeastern state. It is completely unrealistic.
But making communal and hate speeches for Sarma is nothing new. A lawyer-turned-politician who also holds a PhD degree in political science is known for making incendiary speeches for political purposes. A rabble-rouser, Sarma recently said that those passing from the University of Science and Technology (USTM), run by a Bengali-speaking Muslim, would not be given jobs in Assam. As a legal expert, because he practiced law in the Guwahati High Court before shifting to politics, he knows well that he cannot do it because the university has approval from the Meghalaya state government and the University Grants Commission but inflammatory speeches help win political support from the radical population who are against Muslims. And they make up a very large section of the population under the current political atmosphere prevailing in the country.
Why Sarma stoops to low level of politics
But why has Sarma stooped to such a low level and is using inflammatory language to propagate hate against Muslims? Political analysts based in Assam say that he has become extremely unpopular among the masses, including the BJP supporters, and cannot win the next assembly elections due in April 2026. Since he is facing an existential crisis, he is making hate speeches against Muslims to keep the communal pot boiling and maintain unity within the rank and file of his party.
Muslims must not react to Sarma’s hate speeches
Given these reasons, Muslims should not fall prey to Sarma’s political machinations. The best way to counter his divisive and hate politics is to ignore him. Muslims’ reaction will give Sarma a new lease of life. If Muslims avoid responding to his vitriolic comments like they refused to be trapped by Modi’s hate speeches in the last parliamentary elections, Sarma’s politics based on hate and divisiveness will meet a natural death.
Sarma seems to be making a grave mistake. He must learn from the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a star campaigner of his party indulged in Muslim-bashing and made hate speeches all across the country from April 12, when he inaugurated the election campaign of his party from Rajasthan, till June 12 the last day of the poll campaign. But what did he achieve? He had given the slogan “ab ki baar, 400 paar”(BJP will win more than 400 parliamentary seats) but the electorates rejected his divisive politics and communal appeal. Though he formed the government for the third time in a row and became the PM again, he had to take the support of regional parties. This is a lesson for all political leaders and parties at national and state levels that Indian electorates cannot be fooled again and again.
Will Sarma take heed?
