Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that some districts in Assam have become mini-Bangladesh where the Hindus are minorities.
Speaking at a function at Tangra Satra here today, the Chief Minister said, “A confirmed danger continues to lurk over us. However, we have been trying to keep that danger at bay through measures like the delimitation of constituencies, agitations, and some sort of challenge. However, how long will such measures work?”
He said, “The consequences of the massive demographic changes that take place in the state become glaringly visible when we think of the would-be situation in districts like Dhubri, Barpeta, Morigaon, etc. where Hindus have been reduced to minorities. The Hindu population in Bangladesh has now dropped to eight percent from 35 percent. Now, there is a spree in Bangladesh to dismantle temples. The Hindu population in Dhubri is 12 percent, 30 percent in Barpeta, and 35 percent in Morigaon. Many districts in the state have become mini-Bangladesh. The fear that prevents ‘them’ from being aggressive towards the Hindus is the crackdown from the government. However, when this ‘fear’ evaporates into thin air, a Bangladesh-like situation will prevail in all districts in the state, barring those in upper Assam. This is the naked reality of our lives in Assam.”
The Chief Minister questioned, “What is imperative on our part? The entire society, including the youth, needs to be united and protect xatras and naamghars to preserve the ideals of Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardev and others. The youth should emulate the ideology of Srimanta Sankardev. This government protects and supports xatras and naamghars. However, nobody knows what type of government will come in the future. Taking that in mind, it is the duty of the people to preserve their culture, naamghars, xatras, etc., on their own.”
The Chief Minister said that through the Assam State Acquisition of Land Belonging to Religious or Charitable Institutions of Public Nature Act, 1959, the previous governments acquired the surplus lands of the xatras to give settlement to others. “Had those governments exempted xatras from this Act, the lands of xatras in the state would not have been encroached upon in such a massive way,” he said, and he appealed to the public to keep xatras alive through generous donations. “Only xatras and naamghars will keep the culture alive in Assam, and hence their preservation is a must for the survival of the Assamese,” he said.
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