- NET Web Desk
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said in the Assembly that Muslims have become the largest community in the state and it is their responsibility to ensure communal harmony.
Responding to a debate, Sarma asserted “Today people from Muslim community are leaders in opposition, mlas and have equal opportunity and wield power. So it is there duty to ensure that rights of tribal people are protected and their lands are not encroached upon.”
Sarma said that power comes with responsibility and as Muslims constitute 35 percent of the Assam’s population, with roughly one crore populace. Muslims should realise that the state’s progress is inextricably related to their actions, and they should try to reduce the state’s difficulties by focusing on poverty alleviation, population control, and other issues.
They should stop thinking of themselves as “outsiders” and concentrate on communal integration and harmony, he said.
Sarma also claimed that “indigenous Muslims” are also in fear of losing their identity. Around 4% out of the total muslim population in Assam are indigenous Assamese Muslims and large part are mostly Bengali-speaking Muslims.
Referring to the recently-released Hindi film The Kashmir Files Sarma added, “People ask me if Assamese people will face same fate as Kashmiri Pandits. Ten years down the line will Assam be like it is shown in bollyowood movie Kashmir Files. It is the duty of Muslims to allay our fear. Muslims must behave like a majority and give us assurance that there will no repeat of Kashmir here.”
