CM Himanta assures census of indigenous Muslims by October-November

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has given an assurance that a census of the indigenous Muslim community of the State will be taken up by October-November next.

The Chief Minister's assurance came during a meeting at the Janata Bhawan on Tuesday evening with a delegation of the Sadou Asom Goria-Moria-Deshi Jatiya Parishad, a body which represents the indigenous Assamese Muslims.

Talking to The Sentinel on Wednesday, the organization's working president Nurul Haque said that they submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister regarding their various grievances, and he gave a positive response to their demands.

Haque said that they requested the Chief Minister to carry out a census of indigenous Muslims and then provide Constitutional safeguards via a grant of OBC status to all groups of the community in line with the MOBC status already granted to the Morias. They also requested that a separate corporation should be set up to ensure speedy development of the Goria, Moria and Deshi populations. Haque further said that they requested that the proposed corporation should not be placed under the Minorities Department and should instead operate under the Welfare of Plains Tribes and Other Backward Classes (WPT&BC) Department.

Moreover, Haque said, the delegation requested the Chief Minister to set up a development council for the Deshi community. They demanded that the population of Gorias, Morias and Deshis in various autonomous council areas and Tribal Belts & Blocks of the State should be given the status of 'protected ethnic group'. The delegation also requested that proceedings in various Foreigners Tribunals against members of these indigenous Muslim groups should be dropped expeditiously.

According to Haque, the Chief Minister took the responsibility for resolving these issues and said that a separate directorate would be set up for the indigenous Muslim community of the State after the completion of the census in October-November next. Haque added that the Chief Minister said that he would hold discussions with the WPT&BC Department regarding the issue of OBC status.

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