District-level committees set up to survey indigenous Muslims in Assam

Staff Reporter

Guwahati: The much-anticipated socio-economic survey of indigenous Muslims in the state has begun. District committees are in the process of being formed in all districts of the state to conduct the survey, with the DCs as chairpersons, and some have already been set up.

These district committees have been entrusted with the task of identifying the indigenous Muslim-majority areas and conducting door-to-door surveys in them. The Assam Cabinet had recognized the five communities of Goriya, Moriya, Syed, Deshi, and Julha as indigenous Assamese Muslim communities on December 8, 2023.

The state government had earlier set up sub-committees to give suggestions regarding indigenous Muslims. The six sub-committees have furnished a report on December 2021, wherein they gave certain suggestions like conducting a survey, creating a legislative council, reserving a specified number of seats for indigenous Muslims, creating a separate directorate, etc. At that time, the government had assured the sub-committees that a survey would be conducted and their recommendations would be implemented.

According to official sources, the survey findings will guide the government to take suitable measures aimed at the comprehensive socio-political and educational uplift of the state's indigenous minorities. The 2011 census placed the total population of Muslims in the state at 34%. Out of this, around 40 lakh are Assamese Muslims, and the rest are Bengali-speaking immigrants, it was stated.

Sources said that a majority of central and state government schemes aimed at minorities benefit Bengali-speaking Muslims and not Assamese-speaking minorities. Due to a lack of a database of indigenous Muslims, the government could not take up development schemes specifically for these communities. With the completion of the survey, a clear picture of the condition of Assamese Muslims is expected to emerge, and this will help the state government formulate specific measures for their uplift.

However, in the public interest litigation (PIL) ongoing in the Gauhati High Court, the Muslim people of the southern bank or Barak valley have not been included in the list of indigenous Muslims. In this regard, the HC had sought an explanation from the Assam government about its decision to conduct a comprehensive socio-economic survey of the state's indigenous Muslim population.

 Also Read: Uplift of indigenous Muslims: PIL challenges welfare scheme based on religious identity

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