Assam: The All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) on August 26 submitted a memorandum to Governor Laxman Prasad Acharya demanding the state government to take action against several organisations that have issued threats against a section of the Muslim community and asked them to leave the districts of Upper Assam or be ready to face consequences. Upper Assam, which comprises nine districts, is an administrative division of the northeastern state. The opposition party also demanded a public statement from the BJP-led state government condemning the stand taken by these organisations against a section of Muslims. Recently, several organisations asked the ‘Miya’ people to immediately leave the districts of Upper Assam, claiming that it is a move to protect the indigenous people and their culture. ‘Miya’ is basically a derogatory term used for Bengali-speaking Muslims in Assam and non-Bengali-speaking people usually identify them as Bangladeshi immigrants. In recent years, activists of the community have started adopting the term as a sign of defiance.
In a memorandum to Governor Laxman Prasad Acharya, the AIUDF said,
‘It has come to our notice that some unknown organisations and radical groups have issued ‘public threats’ against a section of the Muslim community and demanded that they leave Upper Assam immediately or be prepared to face dire consequences.’ Such statements are not only worrisome but also pose a grave threat to the communal harmony and safety of the community in the region. The memorandum said that a recent incident in Sivasagar, where members of the Marwari community knelt down and publicly apologised for the alleged assault on a 17-year-old girl by a local businessman belonging to their community, has further increased the magnitude of the threat against Muslims. The AIUDF said that such threats are a direct violation of the fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution and are also against the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Urging the Governor’s intervention in the matter, the party also asked the state government to take strict legal action against those organisations, including initiating legal proceedings.
It requested the state government to deploy adequate security forces in Upper Assam areas to ensure the safety of the people. The memorandum asked the state government to issue a public statement condemning such threats issued by the organisations and assure all communities that their safety and rights will be protected. The AIUDF also urged the government to launch programmes and campaigns to promote communal harmony and unity among various communities in collaboration with civil society. “We, the members of the AIUDF, are committed to upholding the values of brotherhood, peace, unity and justice and we are confident that your timely intervention will help prevent escalation of tensions and ensure continued harmony in our state,” the memorandum said.
