Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that saying the word Miya is not unconstitutional, Muslim from Bangladesh themselves coined the term Miya.
Talking to media persons on Thursday, he said, “Those who came from Bangladesh they themselves gave Miya name to themselves, I have not given this name. They only said to call them Miya. They wrote Miya poetries.”
He said, “If I say Miya, they can also say Assamese, where is the problem. This is not undemocratic. The supreme court Of India had said Assam is under invasion. The court in judgment had said these people from Bangladesh are invading Assam. While the court has used the word Muslim, I am not using Muslim as this will encompass the indigenous Muslims of Assam. That is why I am using the term Miya and not Muslim.”
He added, “Supreme Court has shown the data of the increase of Muslim population. Have not Muslims from Bangladesh came to Assam. Where am I wrong and if I am wrong prove me wrong. In those districts where Muslim population was 10 percent, how did it become 60 percent.”
Sarma said, “what former chief minister Gopinath Bordoloi and Bishnu Ram Medhi had said if I say 5 percent of it there will hue and cry here. If Gopinath Bordoloi is not correct, let Congress party say that their chief minister was wrong.”
Miya’ is a pejorative term used for Bengali-speaking Muslims in Assam whose ancestors had roots in Bangladesh. Bengali speaking Muslims are often referred as Miya Muslims. Muslims comprise 34% of the 3.12 crore population of Assam, of which 4% are indigenous Assamese Muslims and the remaining mostly Bengali-speaking Muslims.
Sarma is continuing his tirade against Miya and announced that he will cause trouble to them so that they can leave the state.
Talking to media persons on Thursday, he said, “Those who came from Bangladesh they themselves gave Miya name to themselves, I have not given this name. They only said to call them Miya. They wrote Miya poetries.”
He said, “If I say Miya, they can also say Assamese, where is the problem. This is not undemocratic. The supreme court Of India had said Assam is under invasion. The court in judgment had said these people from Bangladesh are invading Assam. While the court has used the word Muslim, I am not using Muslim as this will encompass the indigenous Muslims of Assam. That is why I am using the term Miya and not Muslim.”
He added, “Supreme Court has shown the data of the increase of Muslim population. Have not Muslims from Bangladesh came to Assam. Where am I wrong and if I am wrong prove me wrong. In those districts where Muslim population was 10 percent, how did it become 60 percent.”
Sarma said, “what former chief minister Gopinath Bordoloi and Bishnu Ram Medhi had said if I say 5 percent of it there will hue and cry here. If Gopinath Bordoloi is not correct, let Congress party say that their chief minister was wrong.”
Miya’ is a pejorative term used for Bengali-speaking Muslims in Assam whose ancestors had roots in Bangladesh. Bengali speaking Muslims are often referred as Miya Muslims. Muslims comprise 34% of the 3.12 crore population of Assam, of which 4% are indigenous Assamese Muslims and the remaining mostly Bengali-speaking Muslims.
Sarma is continuing his tirade against Miya and announced that he will cause trouble to them so that they can leave the state.
