Call for communal harmony and vigilance in Sivasagar amid rising tensions

OUR CORRESPONDENT

SIVASAGAR: Ujoni Axom Muslim Kalyan Parishad (UAMKP) organized a consultative meeting at the Rangpur Jyoti Club in Sivasagar town on Saturday, bringing together leaders of various ethnic and community-based organizations from across Assam to discuss the state’s prevailing socio-political climate.

The meeting was chaired by Monirul Islam Bora, President of the UAMKP’s Central Committee, and attended as chief guest by senior advocate, noted leader of the Assam Movement and UAMKP Advisor Nekibur Zaman. Leaders from several organizations participated, engaging in detailed deliberations on the current situation in Assam. Addressing the gathering, Zaman emphasised that Sivasagar, the former capital of the Ahom kingdom and a cultural hub of Assamese language and literature, has always been a beacon of peace, harmony and unity. However, he warned that ‘a sinister force’ is now attempting to spread communal venom from this very seat of Assamese heritage, threatening centuries-old social cohesion.

“I have rushed to Sivasagar despite my ill health to spread the message of peace and to counter attempts to divide Assamese society in the name of religion,” he said. Citing historical precedents, Zaman recalled that Sivasagar was where Piyoli Phukan embraced martyrdom opposing colonial rule, where the seeds of ULFA’s armed struggle were first sown, and where the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) was revitalized during the Assam Movement.

He cautioned that extremist communal forces have weakened the once-strong Assamese society. Moreover, he lamented that over the years, the community has drifted away from its work culture, becoming increasingly dependent – a factor, he said, that contributed to the migration of ‘Miya’ labourers from Lower Assam. Indigenous Muslims, he stressed, must now remain alert and vigilant.

Zaman advised that house owners should verify the identity and background of tenants before renting out properties, and urged close observation of forces such as the All Minority Students’ Union (AMSU), which was formed in opposition to the Assam Movement in the 1980s. “Being Muslim by faith does not automatically make someone our kin. If we embrace divisive forces in the name of religion, disaster for the Assamese nation will be inevitable,” he warned. Despite long-standing political and economic marginalization, Zaman asserted, indigenous Muslims remain committed to the united struggle for the protection of Assamese identity.

The meeting was attended by Ahom Sena Central President Ankuran Phukan, Axom Chhatra Yuva Sanmilan President Jintu Mech, Ahom Royal Society Central President Kamala Rajkonwar and leaders from the Goria, Moria, Tea Tribe, Jalaha, and Syed communities. Following the meeting, Zaman also addressed a press conference.

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