After Miya Museum demand for Bangla Museum gains momentum, Congress MLA shows concern

Soon after the inauguration of the ‘Miya Museum’ in the Goalpara district of Assam, Congress MLA from Karimganj North demanded the state government for a Bangla Museum.
 
Speaking to India Today NE, Congress MLA Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha from Karimganj North said, "I have demanded earlier also with regards to a Bangla museum in the state, now it a hidden agenda of our CM (Himanta Biswa Sarma) to set up a Miya museum."

"Now as 80-90 per cent of Bengalis who vote in Assam, in order to preserve their culture and identity we demanded a museum at a proper place in Assam," he added.

Further, the MLA alleged that the state government has turned down the Bengali community as could be seen from the NRC days with hundreds of people being left out of the draft list and put behind bars.

The MLA also remarked that during Bihu the state government forwarded financial assistance for Bihu committees but the same was not during Durga Puja.

Earlier, the Miya Parishad under the Goalpara district inaugurated a ‘Miya Museum’ on October 23.

The ‘Miya Museum’ was inaugurated at Lakhipur in Dapkarvita under the Goalpara district. 

The minuscule museum has been arranged for the preservation of old items that the Miya community in Assam has been using since time immemorial.

Today's inauguration was attended by hundreds of people from the Miya community as well as invited guests, and officials of the Miya Parishad.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had rejected the proposal of former Congress MLA Sherman Ali Ahmed, of setting up a ‘Miya Museum’ in Kalakshetra in the year 2020.

The proposal from Sherman Ali Ahmed had even stirred a debate in Assam the same year. 

In a letter to the Director of Museums on October 18, Ahmed sought the establishment of a museum at the Kalakshetra reflecting the culture and heritage of the people living in the char-chaporis (river islands or sandbars).

He also referred to the recommendations of the Standing Committee on Art and Culture presented to the 126-member Assembly on March 24.

“As the people living in char areas are mostly referred to as Miya, I have proposed to the government to establish a museum that would highlight and reflect the culture and heritage of the Miya people,” Sherman said while forwarding his proposal for the establishment of a 'Miya Museum'.

Reacting to the Congress MLA, Sarma said that there is no separate identity and culture in the char areas of Assam as most of the people there had migrated from Bangladesh. In the Kalakshetra, which is the epitome of Assamese culture, the government will not allow any distortion of any kind.