‘Miyas are true Assamese’: Congress leader defends community amid crackdown

Senior Congress spokesperson Imdad Hussain on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on the Assam government and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma over the ongoing crackdown on the Miya Muslims in Upper Assam, alleging state-sponsored targeting and political vendetta ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.

Addressing a public gathering in Lahorighat, Hussain said, "Fearing a Congress resurgence in 2026, the Chief Minister is attempting to divide the Miya Assamese community along communal lines."

He asserted that the Miyas are an integral and indigenous part of Assamese society, stating, “Miyas are the true Assamese of Assam.”

Alleging state complicity in communal attacks, Hussain further said, “Under the Chief Minister’s patronage, coordinated attacks are being carried out against the Miya community.”

Taking aim at certain organizations from Upper Assam, he remarked, “No group or organization has the authority to decide where any Assamese citizen should live or travel within the state.”
He warned that the anti-Miya campaigns gaining traction in some regions of Upper Assam will not be tolerated under any circumstances.

In a sharp political jibe, Hussain claimed that Chief Minister Sarma has been "mentally unsettled" since Gaurav Gogoi took over as President of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee.
“The Chief Minister failed in his attempt to label Gaurav Gogoi as a Pakistani agent,” he said, alleging desperation on the part of the ruling party.

Hussain further questioned, “Is the Chief Minister trying to turn Assam into another Manipur by distributing guns to households?”

 
The remarks come amid escalating tensions in Upper Assam, where youth and student organisations have intensified opposition against Miya Muslims, who are often branded as migrants of Bangladeshi origin.

Just days earlier, members of the All Tai Ahom Students' Union (ATASU) intercepted 16 Miya Muslims near the Tinsukia ASTC bus stand, who were reportedly en route to Arunachal Pradesh and parts of Tinsukia to work as labourers. The migrants were forced to return to their native districts.

ATASU president Milan Buragohain alleged that the group intended to illegally occupy government and forest land, highlighting a deepening divide and growing hostility in Upper Assam's tea, oil, and coal-rich belts.