Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma unleashed a fierce rebuttal on Monday against rights activist Syeda Hameed for her remarks suggesting that Bangladeshis should be allowed to live in Assam. Labeling her comments as legitimizing illegal infiltrators, Sarma accused Hameed, a former Planning Commission member and perceived Gandhi family confidante, of undermining Assamese identity and supporting a vision to “realize Jinnah’s dream of making Assam a part of Pakistan.”
In a fiery post on X, Sarma shared a 33-second clip from Hameed’s speech at a seminar organized by Asom Nagarik Sanmilan on Sunday, titled ‘The State of the Nation with Special Reference to Assam.’ In the clip, Hameed questioned the stigmatization of Muslims in Assam as ‘Bangladeshis,’ stating, “What is the crime in being a Bangladeshi? They are humans too. The world is big enough for them to live here without depriving anyone.” She argued that humanity, not borders, should define coexistence.
Sarma rejected her stance, declaring, “Bangladeshis are not welcome in Assam; it is not their land.” He urged those sympathizing with infiltrators to accommodate them elsewhere, asserting, “Assam is not up for grabs by infiltrators, NOT NOW, NOT EVER.” Invoking the legacy of Ahom general Lachit Barphukan, Sarma vowed that Assamese people would fight to preserve their state’s identity.
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The controversy coincides with a state commission report highlighting the illegal encroachment of over 15,288 bighas (5,045.04 acres) of Satra land, with 7,137 bighas in Barpeta district alone affected. Other districts, including Bajali, Nagaon, Lakhimpur, Dibrugarh, Kamrup, Bongaigaon, Majuli, and Dhubri, also face significant land grabs, fueling concerns about demographic changes.
Sarma shared images of Hameed with former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and former Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, framing her as part of a broader political agenda. The chief minister’s sharp response underscores the contentious debate over illegal immigration in Assam, a long-standing issue tied to cultural identity and land rights, as the state grapples with protecting its heritage amid regional tensions.
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