By Nanda Ghosh , Habibul Bepari , Papiya Das / News Click
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.”
This story was originally published in newsclick.in . Read the full story here