Choosing Bengali Instead Of Assamese In Census Will Only Quantify Number Of Foreigners In State: Assam CM
The chief minister’s remark came in response to a remark of ABMSU leader Mainuddin Ali during a protest in Bedlangmari, Kokrajhar, where in he said that Bengali-speaking Muslims would now choose to write Bengali — not Assamese — in public declarations, claiming that Assamese would no longer remain a majority language
Guwahati: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday said that attempts by a section of minority organisations to replace Assamese with Bengali in electoral rolls or census would only quantify the number of foreigners in the state.
Reacting to a call of the All Bodoland Territorial Council Minority Students Union (ABMSU), the chief minister told reporters, “Language cannot be used as a tool for blackmail. In Assam, Assamese is permanent — both as the state and official language. However, if they write Bengali in electoral rolls or census, it will only quantify the number of foreigners in the state.”
The chief minister’s remark came in response to a remark of ABMSU leader Mainuddin Ali during a protest in Bedlangmari, Kokrajhar, where in he said that Bengali-speaking Muslims would now choose to write Bengali — not Assamese — in public declarations, claiming that Assamese would no longer remain a majority language.
The ABMSU leader said this while addressing a protest against eviction drives of the government in Western Assam which has not only surcharged the political atmosphere of the state but also created a sharp linguistic and communal division in the area.
The Assam chief minister also clarified that such a threat was not going to stop eviction drive. “Muslims who came from Bangladesh have always been writing Bengali as their language. The indigenous Muslims write Assamese as their language. This is an established fact in Assam. I thank ABMSU leaders for suggesting a new mechanism to quantify the population of immigrants in the state,” said the chief minister while asserting that Assanese will remain the language of Assam in any case.
The remark of the minority student leader has also drawn the attention of the All Assam Students Union (AASU) as its president Utpal Sharma called it a deliberate provocation.
“In such a situation, when someone says they will no longer write Assamese as their mother tongue, it’s nothing but provocation and blackmail,” said Mr Sharma.
He further warned that Assam is facing a deeper threat. “The uncontrolled population growth among illegal settlers is the real crisis. Several districts are already slipping beyond the influence of indigenous communities. We must act together — firmly and swiftly — to ensure our future isn’t lost,” said the AASU leader.
The statement of the minority student leader was also condemned by the Tai Ahom Yuba Parishad Assam (TAYPA).
The leader of Tai Ahom Yuba Parishad Gunakanta Gogoi said, “The ABMSU has never made any meaningful contribution to Assam. Time and again, they speak and act against the interests of the state and its people. If they cannot stand with the Assamese people while living here, they are free to leave and settle elsewhere.”
Meanwhile, central leadership of ABMSU has sought to defuse the situation by distancing itself from Mr Ali’s statement. The ABMSU President Taison Hussain clarified that remarks of a leader do not reflect the organisation’s official stance. “We were holding demonstrations in the BTR against inhumane eviction drives when Mainuddin Ali made these comments. His statement does not represent ABMSU’s views,” clarified Mr Hussain.
