Facing crisis, Forum says benefits going only to migrant Muslims

Now, it is the turn of Muslims from Assam to stand up for their rights.

Now, it is the turn of Muslims from Assam to stand up for their rights. “It is the migrant Muslims from erstwhile East Pakistan who are getting all the benefits. And the Assamese Muslims have not only been sidelined, but also discriminated against.” This is what a group of Assamese Muslims, who trace their roots 800 years back, said.

Leading the group is Nekibur Zaman, a Gauhati High Court lawyer, and Sakir Hazarika, eminent theatre and film personality. Both Zaman and Hazarika complained how “overwhelming” political patronage to Muslims of migrant origin had pushed the community to the brink.

The Forum also accused political parties for playing vote-bank politics and in the process sidelining the Assamese Muslims because the latter do not constitute a vote-bank. “As an indigenous community, we now want constitutional safeguard,” the Forum said.

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Echoing this feeling, Zaman said on Sunday: “Assamese Muslims are like any other ethnic Assamese community. We are scattered all over the state. We do not live in geographical pockets that suit the needs of the politicians. Most benefits meant for religious minorities do not reach members of our community, because we are politically insignificant. Self-styled messiahs of minorities have only stood by the migrant Muslims. And the most alarming fact is that leaders of the migrant population have started meddling in the state’s politics,” Zaman added.

“They have also been quite successful in their efforts. Thus it is turning out to be a serious threat to the very existence of the state’s indigenous communities,” Hazarika said. According to him, of the estimated 82.41 lakh Muslims in Assam, only about 35 lakh are Assamese Muslims, the rest have come from across the border.