BJP Party to Protect the 'Jati', 'Maati', & 'Bheti' of Assam?

Guwahati, December 18, 2019:

Amid the ruckus over the allegedly "unconstitutional" amendment of the Citizenship Amendment Act, the Assam state Unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has vowed to "protect" the Assamese language.

Earlier today, Assam Minister Chandramohan Patowary, apparently in a bid to appease the agitators, told the press: "We have all seen these protests. We have entered the political arena via protests. We understand the emotions of the people of the State."

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"I, as a Minister, would like to assure you that the jati, maati, bheti will be safeguarded", Patowary proclaimed, adding, "The Assamese language will be protected at any cost."

In the midst of the outcry over the amendment of the Citizenship Act, this statement rings rather hollow. It can be recalled that the jatiya nayak Sarbananda Sonowal, who was a popular regional leader, took charge of the State after assuring to safeguard Assamese identity. By terming the 2016 election as a 'Battle of Saraighat', the BJP likened itself to the Ahom braves (in the mould of the legendary General Lachit Borphukan) in a quest to drive out invading hordes (in this case: 'Bangladeshis).

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The entire election, it can be argued, was fought on the premise of evicting foreigners. And thus, the NRC.

But lo and behold, after the publication of the NRC on August 31, it was found that Hindus, and not Muslims, were the worst sufferers. When it was discovered that Gorkhas, Koch-Rajbongshis, and even descendants of the Tai-Ahom rulers settled in Upper Assam, were left deprived, the entire narrative turned on its head.

Merely months after the NRC fiasco in Assam, trumpet calls began in the power corridors of New Delhi for a new legislation that would safeguard the 'persecuted Hindus'. Soon, BJP leaders could be seen heading to the Bengali-dominated Barak Valley, in a bid to assure them that their brethren excluded from the NRC would be 'protected' by amending the Citizenship Act. And finally: the C(A)B.

The C(A)B, that has now become the C(A)A, after being greenlit by the President of India, is the issue that still wounds Assamese pride. A feeling of betrayal has swept the State, with the threat to the culture, land, and yes, language, causing mass hysteria across the State. Amid the resignations of popular actors-turned BJP leaders (*cough*cough*Jatin Bora), to the arrest of anti -- the events have followed a particular sequence. And in the midst of curfews, activist-called bandhs and internet bans, the opposers of the C(A)A have found it tough to keep the fire burning.

And yes, there is also the element of fear: not less than 5 have died in Assam, whereas footage of Delhi Police brutally assaulting agitating Jamia Milia Islamia students is going rapidly viral; in such a scenario, dissenters have started fearing for their lives.

"Just tell them (THE GOVERNMENT) to bring back Internet Services. Promise I won't make trouble anymore" -- Assam Citizen A to Assam Citizen B

Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has quoted a number of 5 lakh, whereas Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has said that the number of non-Muslim migrants waiting in the wings is "insignificant". The detractors of the Bill, however, such as the recently incarcerated Akhil Gogoi, paint a far bleaker picture. Gogoi, before his NIA arrest, cautioned that as many as 1.5 crore illegal immigrants would pour into India once the Citizenship doors were opened.

It may be mentioned that opposition to the C(A)A is especially fierce in Assam, which borders Bangladesh. Assam is an ethnically diverse region, where it is feared that undocumented migrants from neighboring Bangladesh will now be granted citizenship, and dilute the linguistic and cultural identity of the region.

The concern of "losing" the language is indeed a pressing issue for the indigenous, as Bengali-language speakers are slowing growing to constitute a high percentage of population in the State (reports suggest it could be as high as 40%).

And now, it is finally time for the BJP party to prove with action that its promise of protecting the jati meti bheti, the three things Assam cherishes the most, was not a proverbial election lollipop. The ball is, once again, in the BJP party's Court.

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