AIUDF demands action against organisations threatening Muslims in Upper Assam

The All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) on August 26 submitted a memorandum to Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya, seeking action by the state government against several organisations which have issued threats against a section of the Muslim community, asking them to leave the Upper Assam districts or face the consequences. 

Upper Assam, comprising nine districts, is an administrative division of the northeastern state. 

The opposition party also sought a public statement from the BJP-led state government, condemning the stand taken by these organisations against a section of Muslims. 

A number of organisations recently asked the ‘Miyas’ to leave the Upper Assam districts immediately, claiming it as a step to protect the indigenous people and their culture. 

‘Miya’ is originally a pejorative term used for Bengali-speaking Muslims in Assam and the non-Bengali speaking people generally identify them as Bangladeshi immigrants. In recent years, activists from the community have started adopting this term as a gesture of defiance. 

In a memorandum to Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya, the AIUDF said, 'It has come to our notice that some unknown organisations and fundamentalist groups have publicly issued threats against a section of the Muslim community demanding that they should leave upper Assam immediately or face dire consequences.' Such statements are not only alarming but also create a serious threat to communal harmony and safety of the community in the region, it said. 

A recent incident in Sivasagar where members of the Marwari community knelt down and offered a public apology for an incident of alleged assault of a 17-year-old girl by a local businessman belonging to their community has deepened the magnitude of the threat against the Muslims, the memorandum said. 

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The AIUDF noted that such threats are directly in violation to fundamental rights as enshrined in the Constitution, and also against the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of the United Nations. 

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 the Upper Assam areas to ensure the safety and security of the people. 

The memorandum also asked the state government to issue a public statement condemning such threats issued by the organisations and reassure all communities that their safety and rights will be protected. 

The AIUDF also urged the government, in collaboration with civil society, to initiate programs and campaigns to promote communal harmony and unity among the different communities. 

'We, the members of AIUDF, remain committed to upholding the values of fraternity, peace, unity and justice and we believe that your timely intervention will help prevent escalation of tension and ensure the continued harmony of our state,' the memorandum added.