The recent hullabaloo regarding Padmavati has got me thinking whether or not the media in our country is really interested in giving us news or not. Because it seems a major piece of news may have slipped out of their hands and some in the national media have not cared to report on it.
Recently an event was held in New Delhi under the ageis of ‘Delhi Action Committee for Assam’, organised by a organisation called Jaimat Ulama-E- Hind attended by intellectuals of Assam like Mr. Hiren Gohain. The event or rather press conference was held to express their views on citizenship to migrants in Assam in the NRC (National Register of citizens).
To give you more context, Assam has battling heavy influx of illegal immigrants on it’s soul ever since partition and the areas surrounding Bangladesh have seen an unprecedented rise in the population of Muslims. The last census conducted in 2011have shown a 30% rise of the Muslim community and in absolute majority in almost 12 of the 27 districts in Assam. What is interesting almost all the districts where Muslim population is on the rise share borders with Bangladesh. District like Dhubri, Barpeta, Hailakandi, Karimganj, Goalpara are a prime example. This has led to a major change in demography of the state. Thee indigenous tribes of Assam are living in a constant fear of losing their identity. Take the example of Barpeta, a district cum town in West Assam which was once famous for it’s Vashnavite culture founded by Srimanta Shankardev- the Great Vashnavite Preacher and scholar has seen an complete overhaul in it’s demography.
Satras (Temples for Vashnavite) have been destroyed in large numbers and land has been snatched away from the locals by these illegal immigrants and this is not even the story of only district of the entire state of Assam and as such that state have sudden rise of Radical Islam in the recent months. Once such event occurred in Nagaon where the students of NSUI belonging to the Muslim community set a Bihu Gamosa (towel) on fire. The Gamosa is a very important part of Assamese tradition and culture. In another instance, the president of All Assam Minorities Student Union, said in a panel discussion on a local news channel and I quote “Axom ot Axomiyagiri Nosolibo”.(Assameseness won’t work in Assam). Now I wonder if Assameseness won’t work in Assam, then what will?
The NRC contains the names of legitimate Indian Citizen with a cutoff date of 24/03/1971 and the people settling after the cut off date will be demented illegal immigrants. The conference held by Jaimat Ulama-E- Hind got into news because of a statement by it’s president Maulana Syed Madani said if the names of Muslims are not included in the NRC, there will be bloodshed and violence in the state even saying that it will turn into a second Burma. His highly communal and violence inciting statement has condemned all over the state and the leader has recently been booked for inciting violence.
I was not aware of news until a few days ago until I saw this tweet by- Soulefacts:
Muslim Ldr Jamiat Ulama-E-Hind president Maulana Syed Arshad Madani, threatening, will make Assam like Mayanmar, 50 Lac Muslims will attack and kill Hindus, if names of Muslims are not included in updated NRC…..Why SC is silent….Oh! SC busy saving Judges???? pic.twitter.com/CfoJgZP8V9
— Oxomiya Jiyori🇮🇳 (@SouleFacts) November 14, 2017
Dear Sir @manjit_mahanta you was the Leader in arranging the tour for the entire group. How come u say urself as a senior Journalist when you and your group actually gate crashed into Madani”s Press Conference ? The application clearly says it was booked by Madani@NANDANPRATIM pic.twitter.com/QO9B4dWunx
— Oxomiya Jiyori🇮🇳 (@SouleFacts) November 20, 2017
None of the media houses or major print players ran a major story on the issue. This is another example of our liberal media who chose to down playing the rise of radicalization of Islam in Assam and other states but print a front page news and hold number of discussion and debates when some fringe elements from the right wing is on the rise. Their selectivity is astonishing and their ignorance painful.
But then people living in Lutyens Delhi will never understand the pain and agony of losing one’s land, culture, traditions and identity being taken taken over by an alien force.
