Himanta Biswa Sarma: Avoid consuming fish produced using urea by 'Miya Muslims'

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma called for a switch to indigenous and organic fish to ward off diseases caused by fishes grown with urea fertilizers. Sarma berated both eating those kinds of fish and the new format of Miya Bihu, saying that is an insult to the Assamese culture.

Miya Muslims use urea fertilizer to produce fish, which has resulted in liver disease; we should avoid that. Assamese need to produce fish in Upper Assam," Sarma said. Sarma said this after some local fish traders in Nagaon warned that fish from their area could have a high content of urea and result in kidney diseases. They announced a boycott of the supply of fish to lower Assam and stated that healthier alternatives were needed, which must be produced organically.

The Chief Minister also spoke on the cultural tensions: a controversy over the festival version of Miya Bihu, invented by the Miya Muslim. Sarma blamed the new rendition of Miya Bihu and the arrest of its lead singer Altaf Hussain, saying those moves insult the traditions of the Assamese and must be stopped.

"Amongst all this, a new version of Miya Bihu has come out disturbing our community. We are a proud nation and cannot accept these attacks on our culture," Sarma added.