Indigenous Muslims of Assam oppose Miya museum in Kalakshetra

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The indigenous Muslims of Assam have opposed the proposal to set up a Miya Museum in Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra in Guwahati.

Talking to the media here on Friday, SadouAsomGoria-Moria-DeshiJatiyaParishad (SAGMDJP) president Hafijul Ahmed said, "The people whose culture MLA Sherman Ali Ahmed wants to protect and preserve had nothing to do with the land, air and water of Assam in the history. They flocked to Assam from East Bengal or East Pakistan after and pre-independence of India. They've no culture of their own. The culture they're following is that of Bangladesh. There's no community called Miya. However, all immigrant Muslims are called Miya in Assam. The setting up a museum for the Miyas in Assam will be an insult for the indigenous people here. Under no circumstances, such a museum will be allowed to be set up at SrimantaSankaradevaKalakshetra that was set up as a mark of respect to the over 855 martyrs of the historic Assam Agitation. Not only the Kalakshetra, such a museum won't be allowed to be set up at any cultural installations of Assam.

"However, a section of organizations and intellectuals of the State embraced Miya infiltrators as new Assamese. As time passes by, they have been able to raise the demand for Miya autonomous council and Miya museum as their population has been swelling fast. On the contrary, the population of indigenous Muslims – who had to fight against the Mughals, who took part in the agitation for Assamese as the medium of instruction instead of Bengali and the Assam Agitation – has been shrinking continuously. These infiltrators are out to pose a threat to the existence of the indigenous Muslims in Assam.

"The State government did assure us of conducting a survey of the indigenous Muslims of the State so as to separate us from the infiltrators. We appeal to the government to conduct the survey at the earliest possible. It's high time the sars of the State were surveyed. The indigenous Muslims who were converts from MechKacharis were originally staying in undivided Goalpara district andsar areas. However, most of their lands are under the encroachment of infiltrator Muslims."

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