Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday, August 25, lashed out at activist and former Planning Commission member Syeda Saiyidain Hameed for her remark that “Bangladeshis can live here”, asserting that such statements legitimise infiltrators and seek to “realise Jinnah’s dream of making Assam a part of Pakistan.”
The previous day, Hameed made a controversial statement saying, “What’s wrong if they are Bangladeshis? Bangladeshis are also humans. The world is so large. Bangladeshis can also be here. Not depriving anyone’s rights.”
Hameed added that the world was created by Allah for humans and not for monsters, and questioned that “if a person is standing on this land, why uproot him so badly.”
“To say that they are depriving the rights of others is troublesome, extremely mischievous and detrimental to humanity. God has created this earth for humans,” she told the media.
Her statements have not gone well with the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government in Assam.
Himanta took to X, claiming that Assamese are on the verge of extinction because of people like her. “Let me make it very clear, Bangladeshis are not welcome in Assam, it is not their land. Anyone sympathising with them may accomodate them in their own backyards. Assam is not up for grabs by illegal infiltrators, NOT NOW, NOT EVER,” his X post read.
Along with Hameed’s comments, Sarma also shared her photographs with former PM Manmohan Singh and ex-Assam CM Tarun Gogoi at different forums.
He also shared a finding from a recent report by a commission set up by the state government to examine Satra (Vashnavite seats of learning) land issues.
The report stated that over 15,288 bighas (5,045.04 acres) of Satra land across Assam have been illegally taken over.
In Barpeta district alone, 7,137 bighas (2,355.21 acres) are under encroachment. Other affected districts include Bajali, Nagaon, Lakhimpur, Dibrugarh, Kamrup, Bongaigain, Majuli and Dhubri.
Will send Madani to Bangladesh: Assam CM
In a direct attack on Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind (JUH) president Maulana Mahmood Madani, the Assam CM accused him of working against the state’s interest. “If I find Madani, I will send him to Bangladesh,” he told mediapersons on Friday.
Himanta’s statement comes after the Muslim organisation demanded his resignation following the massive demolition drive in the Rengma Reserve Forest in Golaghat district.
Alleging encroachment, the state government has so far razed down 2,648 houses across 12 villages. The villagers are predominantly Bengali-speaking Muslims and other communities such as Bodo, Nepali and Manipuri.
On August 21, it’s working committee adopted a resolution expressing concerning alarm at the large-scale eviction. It stated that more than 50,000 families, mostly Bengali-speaking Muslims, have been displaced.
The organisation appealed to the President of India and Chief Justice of India to remove Himanta from his government post and initiate criminal charges against him.
Sharply retorting, Himanta told the media in Assamese, “It is the people of Assam who will take the decision and not the Jamiat president Mahmood Madani. I don’t care about the Jamiat at all or anyone else,” he said.
“I am officially showing my burha anguli (thumbs-down) to the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind. In this thumb, there is Assamese blood, strength, and courage,” he added.
On Friday, the Supreme Court ordered status quo on the large-scale demolition and eviction drive in Golaghat district. It passed the interim order after the Guwahati High Court refused to protect the 2,000 Bengali Muslim families.
(With PTI inputs)
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