Assam CM Defends ‘Miya’ Remark

Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday defended his remarks on the term “Miya”, saying his comments were rooted in concerns flagged by the Supreme Court regarding illegal migration in the state and were not directed against any community.

In a post on X, Sarma said those criticising him should read the Supreme Court’s observations on Assam, which he quoted at length.

Referring to the apex court’s remarks, the Chief Minister pointed to warnings about what the court described as a “silent and invidious demographic invasion” of Assam and the potential threat it poses to the state’s territorial integrity and national security.

Quoting the Supreme Court, Sarma highlighted the court’s caution that large-scale illegal migration could turn districts of lower Assam into Muslim-majority areas and, over time, lead to demands for their merger with Bangladesh.

The court had also warned that the loss of lower Assam could sever the Northeast from the rest of India.

“When the highest constitutional court of the country uses words like ‘demographic invasion’ and warns of the possible loss of territory and national unity, acknowledging that reality is neither hatred nor communalism,” Sarma wrote on X.

The Chief Minister stressed that his remarks were not aimed at any religion or Indian citizen.

“Our effort is not against any religion or any Indian citizen. Our effort is to protect Assam’s identity, security, and future, exactly as the Supreme Court cautioned the nation to do,” he added.

Sarma further argued that ignoring such warnings would amount to injustice.

“Ignoring that warning would be the real injustice—to Assam and to India,” he added.

The Chief Minister’s comments come amid political backlash over his earlier remarks on the term “Miya”, which he clarified is used in Assam in the context of Bangladeshi Muslim illegal migration and not as a slur against any community.

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