Himanta Biswa Sarma (ANI image)
NEW DELHI: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday claimed that eviction drives in the state have targeted only “Miyas”, a term used for Bengali-speaking Muslims and not indigenous Assamese people. He also accused opposition parties, particularly the Congress of appeasing the community ahead of the Assembly elections.Addressing reporters, Sarma rejected reports of a proposed eviction drive in the hills surrounding Guwahati. He asserted that no eviction would take place in the area till the elections, which are due in the first half of this year.Explaining his position, the chief minister said, “Only Miyas are evicted in Assam. How can Assamese people be evicted,” dismissing concerns over alleged anti-encroachment action in the Guwahati hills.The term ‘Miya’ has traditionally been used as a reference to Bengali-speaking Muslims in Assam, who are often labelled by non-Bengali-speaking groups as Bangladeshi immigrants. In recent years, sections of the community have reclaimed the term as an assertion of identity.“Till election, when not a single eviction will happen, then people residing in the hills will understand that it was the media which gave them tension,” Sarma added. Highlighting the BJP-led government’s record, Sarma said that his party has been in power for nearly a decade and questioned claims of selective evictions. “The BJP has been in power in the state for 10 years now. Where has eviction been carried out in Guwahati hills?” he asked. The Assanm CM added that the government was instead working to grant land rights to people living in the hills without charging any premium.However, he maintained that eviction notices would be served to any Miya residing in the hills, but not to Assamese people.Launching a sharp attack on the Congress, Sarma accused the party of focusing solely on Bengali-speaking Muslims. Referring to applications for Assembly tickets, he said, “The Congress has said that it has received 750 applications from prospective candidates seeking party ticket. But what they didn’t say is that 600 of these applicants are Miyas. Only about 120-130 applicants are Hindus.”Using sarcasm, he added, “There has been a ‘Miya ujan’ in Rajib Bhawan,” alleging that the Congress state headquarters was being swamped by people from the community.Sarma further claimed that the Congress posed a threat to Assam’s social fabric. “The Congress party has become a threat to our religion, culture, and the more convincingly we defeat them, the more we can save our state and ‘jati’,” he said. Sarma also alleged that the opposition parties would unite in the elections “for the sake of the Miyas”.The chief minister also said details of alleged Pakistan links involving Assam Congress president and Lok Sabha MP Gaurav Gogoi would be made public soon. “I want to reveal it by January 31. But since there is the Union Budget on February 1, there might be a delay by a day or two,” he said.The BJP and Sarma have been targeting Gogoi over allegations related to his wife’s purported links with Pakistan’s intelligence agency, the ISI. The Assam government had earlier constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe alleged interference by Pakistani national Ali Tauqeer Sheikh, who was claimed to have connections with Gogoi’s British wife, Elizabeth Colburn.The SIT submitted its report to Sarma, who also holds the Home portfolio, on September 10, the date which was initially set by the chief minister to present evidence backing his allegations against Gogoi.