In a recent statement, Prabajan Virodhi Manch convener Upamanyu Hazarika criticized Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for what he described as contradictory political behavior concerning the protection of indigenous identities in Assam.
Hazarika alleged that CM Sarma delivered an impassioned election speech in Jharkhand on Thursday, highlighting the threats to the identity of Assam's indigenous inhabitants due to the influx of Bangladeshi immigrants. According to Hazarika, Sarma claimed that Assam is home to 1.25 crore Bangladeshi immigrants and 40 MLAs of Bangladeshi origin, warning the people of Jharkhand to avoid a similar situation in their state.
However, Hazarika accused CM Sarma of hypocrisy, stating that Sarma shows no remorse in courting Bangladeshi voters in Assam. Hazarika alleged that Sarma has virtually nullified the National Register of Citizens (NRC) by not undertaking necessary re-verification and has refused to implement constitutional safeguards recommended by a Central Government committee. These safeguards were intended to protect the land, resources, and employment opportunities for Assam’s indigenous population.
Hazarika further criticized Sarma's political career, claiming that Sarma has consistently aligned himself with the most powerful political forces, whether it was the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU), the Congress, or currently the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), with the sole aim of securing political office. He suggested that ideology, values, and public service do not figure prominently in Sarma’s political lexicon.
Recalling Sarma's tenure with the Congress, Hazarika noted that there was a convergence of interests, with both Sarma and the Congress aiming to secure the Bangladeshi vote, which translates to 30 MLAs in the Assam State Assembly. Hazarika accused Sarma of continuing this strategy in the BJP by attempting to undermine the NRC and the Assam Accord Clause 6 Committee Report, which advocates for legal safeguards for the indigenous population.
Hazarika alleged that Sarma’s policies, including land allotment schemes, the creation of development councils, and the provision of governmental assistance in migrant-dominated areas, were designed to establish and support the Bangladeshi immigrant population in Assam.
Highlighting recent events, Hazarika pointed out that after the first phase of polling on April 19, 2024, in the indigenous-dominated upper Assam constituencies, Sarma made a concerted effort to secure the Muslim migrant vote in the middle and lower Assam constituencies.
Hazarika accused Sarma of reconciling this apparent contradiction by presenting an extreme Hindutva rhetoric in English and Hindi speeches, while his Assamese speeches reflect different political inclinations aimed at securing migrant support.
In conclusion, Hazarika lamented that the identity and majority status of Assam's indigenous people, which could have been safeguarded through NRC re-verification and legal protections, have become casualties of CM Sarma’s personal political ambitions.
