Notices only to ‘Miyas’, not Hindus or Assamese Muslims: Assam CM Himanta Sarma on voter revision

Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday asserted that there is no controversy surrounding the ongoing SR, as claimed by the opposition, and claimed that no Hindus and Assamese Muslims have received notices for the exercise.

He indicated that only ‘Miyas’ (Bengali-speaking Muslims) are being served notices during the voter revision drive in the state as a tactic to “keep them under pressure”.

“There is no controversy over SR. Which Hindu has got notice? Which Assamese Muslim has got notice? Notices have been served to Miyas and such people, else they will walk over our heads,” Sarma said, talking to reporters on the sidelines of a government programme in Nalbari district.

'Miya' is originally a pejorative term used for Bengali-speaking Muslims in Assam, and a section of the people identify them as Bangladeshi immigrants. In recent years, activists from the community have started adopting this term as a gesture of defiance.

The opposition parties have alleged that the SR exercise ahead of the assembly elections is being conducted to harass genuine citizens, mostly religious minorities, by "BJP agents", with Form 7 especially being used to complain against bona fide voters.

By using Form 7, one can request for deletion of own's own name for any of three reasons: permanently shifted, already enrolled or not an Indian citizen.

Similarly, any voter of that constituency can apply for deletion of names of others on the basis of any of the five reasons: death, underage, absent/ permanently shifted, already enrolled, or not an Indian citizen. Hearing is conducted by the authorities on the basis of Form 7 applications before deletion of names.

A state Congress functionary had on Friday also filed a police complaint against local BJP leaders and government officials involved in the electoral roll revision in Boko-Chhaygaon Assembly constituency over alleged attempted deletion and inclusion of voters' names unauthorisedly.

“There is nothing to hide. We are giving them trouble,” Sarma asserted, mentioning how he had earlier also stated that 'Miyas' will be in for problems under his regime.

The chief minister maintained that it was a tactic to keep them under pressure and said, “They have to understand that at some level, people of Assam are resisting them. Otherwise, they will get a walkover. That’s why some will get notices during SR, some for eviction, some from border police (relating to citizenship)."

“We will do some ‘utpaat’ (mischief), but within the ambit of law… we are with the poor and downtrodden, but not those who want to destroy our ‘jati’ (community),” Sarma added.

The chief minister had earlier claimed that 'Miyas' will form about 40 per cent of the state’s population in the next Census.