Indigenous Muslims have a unique identity: CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

* Eight sub-groups of prominent personalities will suggest measures for development & empowerment of the community

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday interacted with over 150 prominent indigenous Muslims from diverse fields and assured them to bring about the overall development of the community.

The programme, titled 'ALAAP- ALOCHANA: Empowering the Religious Minorities', took place at the Assam Administrative Staff College at Khanapara here on Sunday afternoon.

Addressing the media after the event the Chief Minister said that eight sub-groups will be formed with members from the indigenous Muslim community to suggest various developmental measures. He said there will be sub-groups on health, education, skill development, women empowerment, population control, financial inclusion, cultural and social identity.

There will be a Chairman from the community and a Member Secretary from the State Government in each sub-group that will come up with recommendations on their assigned matters after a detailed discussion within three months.

"After compilation of the reports, a roadmap will be worked out to uplift the indigenous Muslim community. We will work in the next five years according to that roadmap," Sarma said.

According to Sarma, the indigenous Muslims have unique socio, cultural and ethnic identity. He said the history of the community is more than 600 years old.

"All those present in today's meeting agreed that population explosion in some parts of Assam poses a threat to the development of the State. If Assam wants to become one of the top five states in India, then we have to manage our population explosion. This was agreed by all," Sarma said.

Lawyer and social worker Nekibur Zaman, who attended Sunday's interaction programme, said for the first time in the history of post-independence Assam a Chief Minister has tried to reach out to the indigenous Muslims to safeguard their unique identity.

Zaman said out of 1.18 crore Muslims in the State, 42 lakh belong to the indigenous Assamese communities such as the Gorias, Morias, Ujanis, Deshis, Jolas and Poimals, who had either converted to Islam or were war prisoners in the Mughal-Ahom battles in Assam in the 13th Century.

"Indigenous Muslims have been living in Assam with various ethnic communities in peace and brotherhood for several hundred years. The indigenous Muslim groups are either converts from local communities or prisoners of the Mughal-Ahom wars. So, we have a completely different identity. The lifestyle, culture, value system, and social customs of the indigenous Muslims are completely different from those of the Muslims of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh)," he said.

Zaman said since the indigenous Muslim community has been facing an identity crisis due to the dominance of the immigrant Muslims the issue of according Constitutional safeguard to the community was raised during the Sunday meeting.

Renowned surgeon and man behind the State's population policy Padmashree Dr Illias Ali said indigenous Muslims despite having their unique identity are facing various hurdles to assert themselves in society over the years. "They can now see a ray of hope with the Chief Minister's initiative," Dr Ali said.

Senior advocate and sports organizer from Tezpur Syed Eske Alam while participating in Sunday's meeting said a uniform population policy needs to be adopted for the overall development of the society. He said the two-child norm needs to be popularized by all wings of the State Government.

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