Nazrana Shaikh
What’s happening in Assam is the replica of Arakine. At both the places Muslims are being tortured, labeled as illegal migrants and there are frequent attacks on their religion and religious rites.
Suvojit Bagchi portrays the Assam picture in his write up based on the ground level studies. During his tour at various places in Assam he found that the residents living there since the time of British are being forced to leave their villages in spite of holding legal documents. The boundary of Kaziranga National Park is has been arbitrarily pushed south by about 500 yards and fenced in to displace the Muslim villagers residing there. This include Deosursang and Banderdubi villages around the Kaziranga National park. Leon-Tos ( chikunipathar) is one such place where many such Muslim families have taken shelter after their houses were burnt in doing so.
Those who raised their voice against this where accused of spreading violence and were even killed. ‘Gogoi’ associated with ‘Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti’ who was also supported by Anna Hazare, was arrested for revolting for the same in Banderdubi.
Scrutinizing history and present situation of Assam it will be incorrect to call Assam Muslims as illegal migrants. During British rule many Muslims and Hindus were brought to Assam as their servants. In 1826 the social and economic conditions of Assam deteriorated due to Burmese invasion, civil wars, and natural disasters like earthquakes, malaria etc. it was then that the British established the tea industry, undertook construction of railway lines and development of agricultural sector for improving the economic conditions of the state. Many Hindus and Muslims were employed as labourers for this work who came from different parts of the country.
During British tenure it was legal to migrate from one part of the country to another. In 1935, Government of India Act was passed. Section 298 of the Act stated: “No subject of His Majesty domiciled in India shall on grounds only of religion, place of birth, descent, colour or any of them be ineligible for office under the crown in India or be prohibited on any such grounds from acquiring, holding or disposing of property or carrying on any occupation, trade, business or profession in British India. Hence the muslims residing in Assam prior to independence in 1947 cannot be called as ‘illegal migrants’ or ‘Foreigners’.
Despite of this immediately after independence expelling of Muslims started. During 1948-1950 communal riots many Muslim houses were burnt, many were killed and around 5-6 lakhs were forced to leave for East Pakistan’.
During 1952-1971 around two lakh muslims were declared as ‘East Pakistani’ and ‘undesirable elements’ and hence were expelled. After creation of Bangladesh till 2002 around one lakh Muslims were declared as Bangladeshi and were deported to Bangaldesh. In last 60 years many Assam Muslims were even killed on accusation of being Bangaldeshis. In the village Nellie in February 1983 around 2000 Muslims men, women and children were murdered in a single night.
Half of the population of Assam are workers on ‘daily wages’. They wander from place to place in such of earnings. These poor Muslim residents of Goalpara, Dhubri, Barpeta, Nalbari, Cachar, Karimganj, etc when they reach Upper Assam in search of work, are harassed by local communal groups and labelled as Bangladeshis.
The situation in Assam is similar to many Muslim populated areas of the world like Arakine (Rohingya Muslims), Bosnia, Xinjiang (Uighur Muslims), Chechnya, Syria, Somalia, Sudan, Iraq, Yemen, Libya etc.
It is worth noting why the situation in most Muslim populated areas is always tense. Why is there harassment and torture of Muslims as well as pinpointing on their religion and ban on their religious rites in such areas? Why are laws opposing the religious obligations of Muslims imposed in such areas like family planning as is the case in Assam? Why Madrassas are banned accusing them of teaching and spreading terrorism? To which Madrassa did the directors of World War I and II belong? Are the biggest suppliers of arms and ammunitions to the world to carry out terrorism today Madrassa students too?
Madrassa is a school where in-depth knowledge of Islam is granted in the light of Quran and Hadis. Raja Ram Mohan Roy was a Madrassa student from Kolkatta’s ‘Aliyah’ Madrassa from where he obtained scholarship in Persian and Arabic languages. Today we recognize him as a ‘Maker of Modern India’.
Labelling of Muslims as foreigners, migrants, accusing them of spreading terrorism and making efforts to deport them out of country makes no sense when the real enemies are within the country. Recently in February 2017 India Today exposed the ISIS agents caught in Madhya Pradesh who were non Muslim Indian Citizens. ‘New America’ reported that individuals accused of jihadist terrorism related crimes since 9/11 are either American citizens or individuals engaged in jihadist activity within the United States. The change in the US foreign policy after 9/11 shows the real motive behind these acts of terrorism. Like the attack on Iraq in March 2003 accusing it of having nuclear weapons, which were never found, and settlement of US military in Afganistan in the name of defeating Taliban were planned agendas to capture these countries and their resources. There are number of incidents in the history wherein such terrorist attacks are designed to blame the enemy for it and this is made a tool for fulfilling their hidden agendas.
If there is hatred and cruelty in the hearts people will be ready for war. This same strategy is been planned. What most people believe to be ‘Public Opinion’ is in reality carefully crafted and scripted propaganda designed to obtain a desired behavioural response from the public. Thus after every terrorist attack new laws are enacted everyday against Muslims, their immigration, their citizenship, their religious rites with the consent of other citizens.
Issues related to Islamic monuments like Babri Masjid, Taj Mahal etc are raised to communalize the atmosphere each day. Attempts are made to distort the history and make a new history for the generations to come where the name of Muslim contributors to the country will either be nil or counted among villains. As was the history of India’s freedom struggle distorted to hide the Muslim heroes of the freedom struggle about whom Pandit Nehru remarks that the heavy hands of British fell on Muslims more than the Hindus, since Muslims were the real enemies of British.
It’s up to the public now to analyze each situation in depth and then create an opinion failing which the communal atmosphere will lead to mere polarisation and the citizens will remain involved in solving unnecessary issues hampering the real development of self and the country.
