CAA Threatens Language & Culture of Assam, Warns Legendary Filmmaker Jahnu Barua

Guwahati, December 28, 2019:

The protests of Assam against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act is entirely language and culture-centric and not at all religion-centric, explains noted Filmmaker Jahnu Barua.

Barua, in a video he shared on the CAA, said, “The Assamese society is composed of all the indigenous people of the state who have been living together harmoniously for centuries. We are proud of this very unique identity. We surely don’t want to see it getting extinct in years to come at any cost. Unfortunately, with this new CAA coming in, the identity is getting threatened.”

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He referred to the six-year long Assam Movement, which led to the signing of the Assam Accord. “As per the Assam Accord, it was decided that Assam would accept only those migrants who had entered Assam on or before March 24, 1971 and that the govt. would detect, delete and deport all those who had entered Assam on or after the deadline. However, this new CAA is saying – No, Assam has to accept migrants of another 43 years, i.e. all those who had come into that state on or before December 31, 2014,” said Jahnu Barua.

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The Filmmaker shared some charts for a better understanding of the issue. “As per 1971, Assamese speaking population was 60.88 percent, which came down to 48.81 percent in 2001, a drop of 12 percent. On the other hand, Bengali-speaking people had shot up during the same period – 19.71 percent in 1971 and 27.55 percent in 2001 census, a rise of 8 percent increase,” he informed. Assam has accepted an additional 20 lakh “Bangladeshi migrants”, he said.

Jahnu Barua, however, clarified that the protests in Assam are not Anti-Bengali. “Mind you, this protest is not at all Anti-Bengali. People of Assam are concerned about foreigners coming in and outnumbering the indigenous people of the state, like it happened in Tripura and obviously, Assam does not want to become another Tripura,” he reiterated.

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According to the Filmmaker, even if a crore of people are brought in to Assam, the Assamese people will be outnumbered in the state in the next 10 years. “One has to admit that the fear is genuine. In today’s world, no community wants to be outnumbered in their own place… Assam has already taken a burden of 20 lakhs in the past and when Assam, minus the 6^th schedule occupies just 1.6 percent of land of India. Is it fair? As the Assamese society is composed of different indigenous communities of Assam, it will be a huge violation,” he cautioned.

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