OUR CORRESPONDENT
SIVASAGAR: As Assam Police intensifies its crackdown on illegal Bangladeshi nationals across the state, including districts in Upper Assam, the Ujoni Axom Muslim Kalyan Parishad (UAMKP) has expressed serious concern over the recent detention of suspected illegal immigrants in Sivasagar district.
In a press statement, Monirul Islam Bora, President of the UAMKP’s Central Committee, along with Working President Rofique Hussain and General Secretary Shamsul Hussain, acknowledged the presence of illegal immigrants in parts of Lower Assam. However, they termed the arrests from Upper Assam, especially from a historically indigenous Muslim-populated region like Sivasagar, as ‘surprising and unfortunate.’
The UAMKP emphasized that indigenous Assamese Muslims have a well-documented history in Upper Assam dating back over 800 years. They noted that even the National Register of Citizens (NRC) process had come under scrutiny due to alleged inclusion of foreign nationals, which is why the final list was not accepted by the government.
Since 1995, the UAMKP has been urging Muslim residents in Upper Assam’s eight districts to remain vigilant. They have also repeatedly appealed to landlords in Muslim-majority areas to avoid renting homes to suspicious or unidentified individuals. The UAMKP stressed the need for landlords to submit verified tenant information, including voter ID, PAN card, and photographs, to the nearest police station, a directive that has largely gone ignored.
The statement also raised alarm over reports that extremist groups like HuJI and Jamaat-e-Islami, allegedly backed by foreign interests, have been plotting to create a larger ‘Islamic State’ spanning parts of Assam and West Bengal. It warned that, similar to Lower Assam, sleeper cells could be forming in Upper Assam as well.
The parishad claimed that in some cases, individuals have misused community platforms and cultural institutions to shelter suspected migrants under the guise of being indigenous Muslims. They urged the Assam Government and the Home Department to keep a close watch on such developments, especially in Muslim-dominated areas of Upper Assam.
The central leadership of the Ujoni Axom Muslim Kalyan Parishad also appealed to every Muslim resident in Upper Assam to remain vigilant and cooperative with law enforcement to ensure that extremist elements do not find space to operate within the community.
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