Indigenous Status to Muslims in Assam and its Political Implications

The Assam government on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr on July 6, 2022, declared five Muslim groups in the state as indigenous.

However, granting of indigenous status by the state government to 5 Muslim groups of the state has deeper political implications.

As per the "Assam Accord" signed between the All Assam Students' Union (AASU) and the central govt. after six years long agitation in 1985, the indigenous people of Assam would be entitled to "constitutional safeguard".

Assembly and Parliamentary constituencies would be reserved for the indigenous people. Once accorded indigenous status, nearly 77 lakh Muslims out of 1.07 crore would be entitled to political reservation.

As per the accord, govt. is bound to detect and deport illegal migrants from Assam who entered the state after March 24, 1971. For the rest of the country, the cutoff date for the detection and deportation of illegal migrants is July 19, 1948. The citizenship act has been later amended several times. Any person born in India till 1986 is now Indian. It was further amended in 2003. Whether there can be a separate cut-off for Assam is a matter of dispute, now sub judice.

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In Assam Muslim population was 19,81,867 in 1951. All Assam Students' Organization and also other regional nationalist' organizations and BJP - AGP want political reservation or constitutional safeguard based on 1951 census data.  During the period 1951-2011, the population of Assam increased by 290 per cent  (The total population of Assam in 1951 was 80,00000. It increased to 3,1200000 in 2011). At a 290 per cent increased rate, the Muslim population in 1951 becomes 77,29,281 in 2011.

Now, Assam has a total of 2.37,10,834 electors as on January 5, 2022, in all the 126 legislative assembly constituencies of the state. As such, the average number of voters in each constituency is 1.86 lakh. Now, as per clause 6 of the Assam Accord, if political reservation or 'constitutional safeguard' is provided, the "indigenous" Muslims would be entitled to some 42 Assembly constituencies. That is 33.3% of Assam's total assembly seats.

The disproportionate increase in the Muslim population in Assam has reduced the Hindus into a minority in 9 districts of Assam. Now Hindus would be mutilated politically in these districts once they get a political reservation.

In Assam definition of an Assamese or indigenous has not been termed yet. In the assembly, heated discussions took place on the issue, but there could not be any consensus.

But now, around 70 lakh Muslims have become Indigenous Assamese Muslims. Some questions arise here:

*The Cabinet decision says their Assamese identity precedes religious identity. Are there any Muslim who says that he is Assamese first and Muslim thereafter?

* The indigenous declared Muslims will enjoy political reservation benefits along with other social benefits.

This appears to be a dangerous turn in the history of Assam

* How Syed has become an Indigenous community? It opens flood gates for entire Syed's of India to take indigenous character similar to what is happening in Manipur under the Pangal Muslim category.

* What kind of policies Assam Government wants to implement for this category of Muslims?

* If immigrant Muslims claim to be Garia, Maria etc. and thereby present themselves as indigenous, how will the government distinguish them? Will it be possible to distinguish?  
Titles are the same; many of the immigrants Muslims are fluent in Assamese. Their dress code is very similar or almost the same.

* Thousands of Marwaris and Biharis have also been staying in Assam for more than a hundred years. They have not been declared indigenous even though they are indigenous Indians and have been living in the Indian state of Assam for more than a century now. It seems the government is pursuing "Muslim First".