Indigenous Muslims demand ‘Original Inhabitants’ status fearing an identity crisis

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Fearing an identity crisis due to large scale inclusion of Bengali-speaking Muslims in the complete draft NRC, the indigenous Muslims have demanded the State Government to accord the ‘Original Inhabitants’ (OI) status to the community.

“The Indigenous Muslims of Assam are often confused with the Muslims of East Pakistan and many times considered Bangladeshis. The indigenous Muslim groups are either converts from local communities or war prisoners of the Mughal-Ahom wars. So we have a completely different identity and such an identity must be safeguarded,” eminent lawyer and social activist Nekibur Zaman said. Zaman has been highlighting the causes of indigenous Muslims.

Echoing Zaman, many other members from the community have demanded the present BJP-led Government in Dispur to initiate special measures like the ‘OI’ status or constitutional safeguards to the indigenous Muslims to protect their ethnic identity and culture against the large Bengali-speaking population that had settled in Assam between 1951 and March 24 midnight, 1971, and have now been included in the complete draft NRC.

“The BJP-led Government must now fulfil its pre-poll promise by conducting a census of the indigenous Assamese Muslims and accord them special safeguards,” Dr Sadiq Alam, an indigenous Muslim said.

Dr Alam said the ruling BJP had promised in its election manifestoes in 2011, 2014 and 2016 that it would conduct a census of the indigenous Muslim groups like the Gorias, the Morias, and the Deshis and accord them Constitutional safeguards to protect unique identity.

The Sadou Asom Goria-Moria-Deshi Jatiya Parishad has claimed that of the 1.18 crore Muslims in the State, 42 lakh belong to indigenous Assamese communities such as the Gorias, the Morias, the Ujanis, the Deshis, the Jolas and the Poimals, who had either converted to Islam or were war prisoners in the Mughals-Ahoms battles in Assam in the 13th Century.

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