Miya-Muslims are 'Indigenous' to Assam, Ahoms are not: AIUDF MLA

Guwahati, February 12, 2020:

Aminul Islam, the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) MLA representing Dhing constituency in Assam's Nagaon has gained notoriety for claiming that Ahoms are not indigenous to Assam, while saying at the same time that Miya-Muslims migrated from neighboring Bangladesh are the actual sons of the soil.

A video of his speech has gone viral on social media and has drawn condemnation from netizens as the Tai-Ahom tribe founded a dynasty that ruled over Assam for several centuries.

"The Ahoms came from Yunnan province in Myanmar...it was never a part of India, and it is still not a part of India. If they are designated as indigenous, why can the people who came from undivided India not claim indigenous status?", queried Islam, stating that the forefathers of the Bengali-speaking Miya community belonged to East Bengal, once a part of India.

ALSO READ: Assam: “Indigenous” Word Dropped from Proposed Muslim Census Body’s Name

The AIUDF MLA, in his fiery speech, also claimed that the Brahmins came from Iran and Iraq. "If they can be indigenous, why not Khilonjia Muslims?", the AIUDF MLA questioned.

The AIUDF MLA's comments come against the backdrop that sees the ‘Khilonjiya Muslim Development Corporation’ of Assam, which is meant to work for the welfare of the state’s Muslim populace, being renamed as the ‘Goriya, Moriya, Deshi and Julha Development Corporation’.

The department of Welfare of Minorities and Development took this decision to rename the body by omitting the word ‘khilonjiya’, which means indigenous. The move came after controversies surrounding the term ‘indigenous’ gained momentum in the State.

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