Former TMC MP Hassan Imran raises voice against continued alleged excesses on Muslims in the state, wrote a letter to political parties and activists

By Abdul Bari Masoud

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New Delhi/Guwahati: Ahamed Hassan Imran, a former Trinamool Congress MP  and the editor of Puber Kalom, charged that the BJP-led Assam government has been single-out the Muslim community since it took office for the second time. Hundreds of Muslim households were uprooted from their homes after bulldozers demolished them, according to him, who said that solely Muslim areas were subject to the continuing eviction drive about the alleged encroachment of government lands.

He also questioned the cryptic silence of the opposition political parties on the Assam government’s blatantly discriminatory eviction campaign, which intends to make the Muslims of Assam like Rohingya refugees. He also underlined that all victims are genuine citizens of the country as their names are in the revised NRC.

Former MP Imran called attention to the blatantly discriminatory actions of the Assam administration, which is led by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, in a letter issued to political parties, political leaders, activists, and intellectuals. On December 21, Sarma said that eviction drives to clear government and forest land in the state will continue.

Bulldozers rolled down the alleged encroached land to clear around 400 bighas of government lands in Barpeta’s Kanara Satra on December 22 and evicted around 40 families living there. Government officials claimed that they had sent notice to the affected families much in advance.  Assam Police detained Baghbor legislator Sherman Ali following a disagreement with officials during an eviction drive.

Hassan Imran highlighted that the families forcibly evicted from their homes had resided there for 70 to 80 years, and the majority of them had been paying the required taxes to the government.

“Moreover, under the active vigilance of Hon’able Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, thousands of Muslims are being evicted from their villages. Their houses and shops are being demolished with bulldozers in the presence of police and paramilitary forces. The demolition drive is occurring in all Muslim-dominated districts of Assam. Most of the victims of eviction have been in occupation of their lands for the last 70-80 years. Many of these people were farmers who had lost their lands in the Char areas (Brahmaputra Riverine Islands) due to erosion by the river. They rebuilt their lives on the vacant lands of the surrounding areas.”

He also made note of the fact that only Muslim homes and properties are targeted in areas where the eviction operation is taking place, while other communities are left unaffected.

“It has been noticed that in areas where the eviction drive is carried out, only Muslim Houses and Properties are targeted whereas other communities are left undisturbed”.

He also alleged that the uprooted victims were supposed to be allotted ‘Patta’ by the government but the documents were never given to them. These people, however, had been paying all required taxes to the government.

He also listed the atrocities against Muslims that the Sarma government has been responsible for since taking office.

“The BJP government in Assam, led by the Chief Minister Mr. Himanta Biswa Sarma has committed many atrocities against Muslims, such as shutting down of state-funded Madrasah institutions, bludgeoning of even private Madrasahs and killing of Muslim youths in false police encounters etc.”

Independent political observers say after the NRC exercise debunked the bogy of Bangaladeshi infiltration the communal forces are trying to create trouble for the Muslim community on one pretext or the other in order to politically and socially marginalize them.

The editor of a popular daily and ex-MP Hassan Imran urged the concerned citizens to pay attention to the deplorable and alarming situation of the Muslim Community in Assam which accounts for more than one-third of the state’s population.

Text of the letter

“I am Ahamed Hassan Imran, an Ex-Member of Parliament and The Editor of ‘Puber Kalom’ which is a popular Bengali Daily in West Bengal and Assam. Through this letter, I want to draw your attention to the deplorable and alarming situation of the Muslim Community in Assam. The BJP government in Assam, led by the Chief Minister Mr. Himanta Biswa Sarma has committed many atrocities against Muslims, such as shutting down of state-funded Madrasah institutions, bludgeoning of even private Madrasahs and killing of Muslim youths in false police encounters etc. Moreover, under the active vigilance of Hon’able Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, thousands of Muslims are being evicted from their villages. Their houses and shops are being demolished with bulldozers in the presence of police and paramilitary forces. The demolition drive is occurring in all Muslim-dominated districts of Assam. Most of the victims of eviction have been in occupation of their lands for the last 70-80 years. Many of these people were farmers who had lost their lands in the Char areas (Brahmaputra Riverine Islands) due to erosion by the river. They re-built their lives on the vacant lands of the surrounding areas.

The uprooted victims were supposed to be allotted ‘Patta’ by the government but the documents were never given to them. These people, however, had been paying all required taxes to the government. It has been noticed that in areas where the eviction drive is carried out, only Muslim Houses and Properties are targeted whereas other communities are left undisturbed. The Chief Minister has himself admitted to the media that he has been targeting the Muslims only. The victims have been helpless, and have literally been living under the open sky in the infamous cold of Assam. But so far, no delegation of any political party, Muslim organization or civil rights group has visited the affected people. The entire episode seems to be a repetition of the Rohingya Tragedy.

The Himanta Biswa led government has shown no regard for basic Human rights or Fundamental rights to life and property granted by the Indian Constitution. The Assam chief minister has told the media that the victims of eviction won’t be given any compensation or even a drop of water from the government’s side. The number of evicted homeless people is increasing sharply with every passing day as the government is continuing with the eviction and has planned an extensive uprooting drive in all the districts of Assam. The ‘refugees’ are facing the threat of death due to starvation, illness, cold and unhygienic living conditions. I urge all the conscious and responsible leaders and organizations to pay attention to the ongoing pathetic situation of Muslims in Assam”.

Regards,
Ahamed Hassan,
Ex-Member Of Parliament            Editor, Puber Kalom Daily