Assam to identify ‘local’ Muslims
Census to separate indigenous people, Banglas ■ THE CENSUS will cover the Goria, Moria, Desi and the tea tribe Jolha communities, whom the state government considers indigenous ■ MUSLIM population in Assam is one-third of the total 3.55 crore population
In what may trigger a fresh controversy, Assam’s BJP-led government has embarked upon an ambitious plan to conduct a socio-economic census from March this year to identify and segregate indigenous Muslims in the state.
Pointing out that the entire exercise was aimed at to segregate indigenous Muslims from the migrants from erstwhile East Bengal, East Pakistan or present Bangladesh, Assam minorities development board chairman Muminul Aowal told this newspaper that the census will cover the Goria, Moria, Desi and the tea tribe Jolha communities, whom the state government considers indigenous (like other ethnic tribes and communities of the state).
It is significant that Muslim population constitutes about one-third of the total 3.55 crore population in the state, representing about 34.22 per cent. They include 40 lakh indigenous Muslims. The proposed census which may trigger opposition has come at a time when indigenous population of Assam that was 47 per cent in 2001 has been reduced to 40.45 per cent in 2016 due to influx.
Pointing out that department would take all the stakeholders in confidence, Mr Aowal said, “The names of indigenous
Muslims and Bangladeshi Muslims are the same. As a result, the government faces problems in identifying them during implementation of various welfare schemes. Since our government is committed towards the welfare of indigenous Muslims, they should have a separate identity.”
He said that preparations for the census were at their final stages and hoped the exercise will commence “within this financial year”.
A meeting convened on February 11 by the state minorities development department with various stakeholders belonging to indigenous Muslim communities will set the ball rolling for the census, which will be the first of its kind in the state, he said adding that the state government would also be finalising the guidelines for conducting survey.
The religious break-up of Assam is — Hindu 61.47 per cent, Muslim 34.22 per cent, Christian 3.74 per cent, Buddhist 0.18 per cent, Jain 0.08 per cent, other religions 0.09 per cent and not stated 0.16 per cent.