Bengali Muslims’ names in draft NRC make indigenous Muslims insecure

GUWAHATI: Large-scale inclusion of names of Bengali-speaking Muslims in the complete draft NRC has caused fear and apprehension among indigenous Muslims in the State to lose their ethnic identity and culture.

“Indigenous Muslims of Assam are often confused with the Muslims of East Pakistan and many a time considered Bangladeshis. The indigenous Muslim groups are either converts from local communities or war prisoners of the Mughal-Ahom wars. We have completely a different identity and must be protected,” Nekibur Zaman, noted lawyer and social activist told The Sentinel.

Zaman said since large Bengali-speaking population who settled in Assam between 1951 and March 24 midnight, 1971, have been included in the complete draft NRC, it is natural for indigenous Muslims to feel insecure about safeguarding their unique ethnic identity and culture in future. He said names of many indigenous Muslims have not been included in the complete draft NRC. According to Zaman the ruling BJP had promised in its election manifestos in 2011, 2014 and 2016 that it would conduct a census of the indigenous Muslim groups like Goria, Moria, Deshis and accord them Constitutional safeguards to protect their unique identity.

“The party seems to have forgotten its promise. Even few steps taken by the previous Congress regime including formation of autonomous councils for indigenous Muslim groups have also been discontinued by the present BJP regime,” Zaman said.

Zaman said it is high time for the BJP-led government to fulfill its pre-poll promise by conducting a census of the indigenous Assamese Muslims and accord them special safeguards.

On other hand the Sadou Asom Goria-Moria-Deshi Jatiya Parishad says that of the 1.18 crore Muslims in the state, 42 lakh belong to indigenous Assamese communities such as Goria, Moria, Ujani, Deshi, Jola and Poimal, who had either converted to Islam or were war prisoners in the Mughals-Ahoms battles in Assam in the 13th Century.

According to the Parishad the history of indigenous Muslims in the State is much older than the 13th century when Ahoms established their kingdom. The Parishad said that their community members want to be identified by their ethnicity and not by their religion.

History says the Gorias are the converts from different ethnic groups and tribes to Islam in the state, while Morias are the descendents of Muslim soldiers taken prisoners during wars with local kings. In subsequent years, Morias married local women and extended their families. The Deshi Muslims are Koch Rajbongshis who converted from to Islam.

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