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A growing number of political figures and intellectuals are challenging the long-standing myth that Muslims in the northeast are "Bangladeshis" who do not belong in the country.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's speech marking Independence Day took place against a turbulent backdrop. In the northeastern state of Assam, ethnic rioting between Bodo tribals and Bengali-speaking Muslims has claimed at least 80 lives and forced more than 400,000 people to move to refugee camps.
![A policeman walks past a burning vehicle during a protest that turned violent in Mumbai on August 11th. Ethnic riots in Assam have led to violent incidents in other parts of India as well. [Stringer/Reuters]](/shared/images/2012/08/18/120818_UDAYAN_IN_ASSAM.jpg)
A policeman walks past a burning vehicle during a protest that turned violent in Mumbai on August 11th. Ethnic riots in Assam have led to violent incidents in other parts of India as well. [Stringer/Reuters]
The tension has spilled over into other parts of India as well. In Karnataka and other parts of the south, threatening text messages and rumours of reprisal attacks have sown panic among Muslim settlers from Assam, causing them to return to their home state. On August 11th, two people died in Mumbai when a show of solidarity for Assam's riot victims turned unruly.
In his August 15th Independence Day address, Singh said that restoring peace is the government's highest priority. He also indicated that his administration is considering a probe into the "root cause".
"I promise that our government will make every effort to understand the reasons behind the violence and work hard with the state governments to ensure that such incidents are not repeated in any part of the country," he said.
Challenging a long-held prejudice
Experts say that Singh's statement marks a noteworthy departure from widely prevalent attitudes in India. Until recently, few questioned the reigning myth that "illegal Bangladeshi migrants" are at the root of tension in Assam.
"His remark takes head-on the right-wing opposition's shrill demands for expulsion and disenfranchisement of the so-called Bangladeshis from Assam, who they accuse of carrying out 'demographic invasion' in the state," says Burhanuddin Owaisi, an analyst for Eastern Crescent magazine.
Since the late 1970s, Bengali-speaking Muslims in the state have been at the receiving end of constant political campaigns demanding their disenfranchisement and expulsion. Assamese political parties and the Hindu right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) claim they are Bangladeshis, not Indians.
In February 1983, more than 3,000 Bengali-speaking Muslim villagers were massacred by fanatic tribals in Nellie, close to the state capital, Guwahati. It is among the worst cases of ethnic violence ever recorded in a country which has seen its share of unrest.
Moinul Haq, who runs a human rights group in Assam, told Khabar South Asia: "We are humiliated daily; our children grow up facing taunts everyday as Bangladeshis. There is a deliberate political conspiracy to marginalise us."
But now a growing number of politicians and intellectuals are beginning to speak out.
"Empirical evidence reveals that Bengali-speaking Muslims settled in the Bodos' home turf before the partition of India (1947). That makes them as much Indians as the Hindus, the Assamese Muslims and the Bodo tribals," Kashif-ul-Huda, a writer on northeast issues, told Khabar.
Writing in The Hindu, sociologist Banajit Hussain said the issue is not one of a simple misunderstanding, but of a falsehood being perpetuated deliberately.
"It cannot be simply assumed that the Bodo leadership and the mainstream Assamese society are innocently mistaken in believing that all Muslims inhabiting this area are illegal migrants from Bangladesh. Rather it is a conscious 'mistake' laced with communal undertones," he wrote.
"The rhetoric of 'illegal' migrants flooding the region that appears to be fuelling the attacks is backed largely by what seems to be paranoia about the perceived growing numbers of Muslims in the area, all of whom are assumed to be 'illegal' migrants," Hussain wrote.
Muslims hope for change in perceptions
For the worried Muslim community, Singh's remarks signal that the government is ready to take a closer look at the crisis.
The leader of Assam's lead opposition party, Assam United Democratic Front (AUDF), Maulana Badruddin Ajmal, told Khabar, "The Muslims of Assam have been victimised wrongly for more than 30 years. If the Manmohan Singh government is willing to acknowledge it, we would be happy to co-operate."
Speaking to Khabar, a leader of the ruling Congress party, said it is committed to bringing an end to the hatred and violence.
Congress leader Devendra Dwivedi told Khabar, "We are conscious that the Assam riots have upset the social balance in a major way. We will do our best to rehabilitate the victims and repair the situation permanently."
![Bangladeshi rescue personnel carry stretchers with the remains of garment workers from the site of a collapsed building in Savar on May 9th. With a death toll of at least 1,127 workers, the April 24th collapse ranks as the world's worst industrial disaster in recent history. [AFP]](/shared/images/2013/05/14/130514_TASHFIN_BD_COLLAPSE-100_67.jpg)
![Here, Industry and Commerce Minister Rishad Bathiudeen (centre) and Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Development Minister Douglas Devananda (right) open the 2013 Jaffna International Trade Fair on January 18th, aiming to inject more energy into the economic revival taking place in the former war zone. [Photos by Nilupul Perera/Khabar]](/shared/images/2013/02/26/130226_LK_ESSAY1-270_180.jpg)
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Reader Comments
lehmanApril 21, 2013 @ 11:04:28AM
terrifying
salim talukdarSeptember 25, 2012 @ 06:09:09AM
A true report. In fact the bengali speaking populace never migrated out of their own ancestral region-bengal and happen to live in and around bengal since ages. Unlike our present day CM of Assam whose ancesters happen to migrate from Thailand and had lived so long in Assam that today they are being termed as tai Ahom- the true khilongias of the region.
raju aliSeptember 19, 2012 @ 11:09:51PM
we just need peace......for all.............
RAJA FOR RAHMANSeptember 18, 2012 @ 07:09:29AM
we r a humanbeing................we want justise.................................................?
AK NATHSeptember 15, 2012 @ 06:09:28AM
we should broaden our mind and live like the way we have been living for centuries, as we all know poverty illiteracy and underdevelopment is the root of all these evil show we much come all together to root out all these evil and make the the great Assamese community a glorious community having diverse culture but progressive one. If all of us belief it and promise ourselves then God also help us and then the day is not ahead of us that we become progressive unbreakable community..... 'WE ARE UNBREAKABLE'
luna singSeptember 13, 2012 @ 02:09:30AM
we want peace
علی محمدSeptember 12, 2012 @ 10:09:14AM
If a Bangladeshi Muslim is causing grief to another Muslim brother then it is his obligation to leave India. If there is no Bangladesh then Government of India is obligated to everything possible to protect the property and lives of its citizen. As far population is concerned, it is not controlled by killing someone but by we have to find a way to control population by education. Talking about population, it is also Government’s responsibility. What can I say about unity, every language has always repeatedly said and every ear has heard that; Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Christian are together….this is Indian way not anyone else’s.
nitya peguSeptember 12, 2012 @ 08:09:54AM
clash is not between hindus and muslims. its against illegal bangladesih. they are foreigners and people should not support them especially indian muslim.
neha bhartiSeptember 9, 2012 @ 12:09:03PM
we are united .i want to say that please stop the violence between Hindu and Muslims .the main cause of Assam is that no one try to understand the problem of any one. Government of our country is very bad .Firstly they have to change ,they have to come in serious and give support the poor ,Muslims are also our family of country,. try to stop this violence , and become as like brother and sister among all the people , thanks, save our country ,from enemy
sonam mandilwarSeptember 3, 2012 @ 06:09:35AM
its realy very bad,we r human beings,there should be no matter of hindu or mushlims.............. please dont do like that.......
sonam mandilwarSeptember 3, 2012 @ 06:09:34AM
its realy very bad,we r human beings,there should be no matter of hindu or mushlims.............. please dont do like that.......
sonam mandilwarSeptember 3, 2012 @ 06:09:34AM
its realy very bad,we r human beings,there should be no matter of hindu or mushlims.............. please dont do like that.......
wasiq qureshiSeptember 2, 2012 @ 04:09:39AM
people which is speaking against the muslims as most people always do it they have need to understand the actual problem. the muslims of whole world are humans their childrens are also the children like yours. they also get pain they also get hurts why assam riots are not getting controll it is the major drawback of indian goverment they are just looking.
nidhiAugust 29, 2012 @ 06:08:55AM
muslims should control their population .this is a major problem for them and all.
GAYATREE SAIKIAAugust 29, 2012 @ 04:08:40AM
PROPER POLITICAL EDUCATION AND CONCIOUSNESS AMONG THE COMMON PEOPLE OF ASSAM IS THE SERIOUS DEMAND OF THE DAY.
udayAugust 29, 2012 @ 03:08:12AM
we ourself are the creater of naxel,after 65 yrs of freedom if we could not understand who are our brother and still fight for freedom of my region then hail to cal ourself as an INDIAN, its not the time to suport sentiment let be one friends, let us start call ourself as INDIAN instead of any caste or religion. its time for the youth to think differently leaving out politices aside , leave what my parents think, leave out elders we are sufficient enough to chock our the right . GOD bless everyone. I pray let every one smile at the smile of other.
S. ChowdhuryAugust 28, 2012 @ 04:08:46PM
To Mr. K.Sensowa: You wrote, "No more argument is needed to establish the fact of illegal migration." So, do you think that it was illegal to migrate to Assam from East Bengal in 1924? At that time East Bengal and Assam both were part of India. So, do you think it would be an illegal migration if you now migrate from, for example, Kolkata to Delhi? The British writer wrote it in 1924, NOT after 1947. So, it clearly proves that these people migrated there in 1930s, in the era of UNDIVIDED India. How come you call it "illegal migration"?
PBAugust 28, 2012 @ 12:08:40PM
as per the view of analysts our moto unity in diversity have lost its face and we shrinked to ourselves. We should recognize that more than muslims ,they are humen beings. They have their own right to survive.
noushadaliAugust 25, 2012 @ 05:08:35AM
why india goverment cannot prevent assam violation
sagarAugust 23, 2012 @ 11:08:35PM
Stop this violence
harunAugust 23, 2012 @ 01:08:56PM
i worried about harasse to muslim in the world over, where , muslim r minority , there muslims are face many type of social, ethnically problems and state terorism, except muslim , rest of other religious person allwayes try to insult to muslims for every step. recentlly burmies buddist r killed many muslims person , , not only that they burn muslims dueling house united nation r silent about hte muslims problems i hate the activities of united nations
K.SensowaAugust 23, 2012 @ 12:08:18PM
What has been stated by Udayan Namboodiri in the above write up is a repetition of what has been told by the politicians over last four decades . A British writer , wrote in the Association's journal published by The Tea Association of India from Calcutta in 1924 that, the way the people were migrating from East Bengal during that time it would shortly change the demographic pattern of Assam. The British writer was a sociologist and not a politician . He required no Vote from the migrants. Today we salute the writer for his fore site. No more argument is needed to establish the fact of illegal migration . Badarauddin saheb may try to rewrite the History with his own agenda , we have nothing to say.
vaishnavi kadamAugust 21, 2012 @ 11:08:30AM
Respected Sir,(Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's) I m sorry to say but its now high time to take action on this rumours of reprisal attacks.... we all nw dnt need any kind of promises or speech just a successful work so that every Indian or foreigner move safly in my country.... it has been so difficult to move in India any where it may be village or city. I cant order u sir but can view my thoughts to you ......Group one leader from each state ,that leader must make Group of no. of persons n each person of each city or village must have every record regrading the communication n transport zone n all public vechiles ,trains,airway,etc.. Sir ,Humble reqst no political use in this... have equal right n opportunity Love N Care my country.....
baruahAugust 21, 2012 @ 10:08:48AM
INDIAN ARE DIVIDED IN THE NAME OF RELIGION.CAST,COMMUNITY,REGIONAL AND LANGUAGE A NEW CHAPTER OF RESEARCH IS REQUIRED UNIT LIKE USA . SOUTHINDIAN DISLIKE NORTH INDIAN NOT TALKING IN NATIONAL LANGUAGE DOING POTITICS OF CAST LANGUAGE REGION AS TELENGA,DMK. BEFORE CRITISING OTHER DO U STUDY SOCIO ECNOMIC PROBLEM OF ANY PART OF INDIA.WHERE IS NOT CAST STRUGGLE IN INDIA? INTLECTUAL SHOULD RESEARCH AND SOLVED THE PROBLEM AS INDIAN AS A BROTHER.
Md. Niloy KhanAugust 20, 2012 @ 09:08:28AM
It would be a big injustice for the Indian government if they deprive the Muslims from their rights. The rights of all the Muslims of Assam should be reinstated. Necessary measures should be taken to prevent communal violence.