The Assam Miya (Asomiya) Parishad has strongly opposed appeals made by a section of individuals urging Miya Muslims to declare Bengali, instead of Assamese, as their mother tongue in the upcoming Census.
Addressing a press conference at Dekachang in Sonatoli, the organisation’s General Secretary and advocate, M. Muktar Mondal, said issues relating to injustice or discrimination against any community should not be linked to changing one’s mother tongue. He described such appeals as “illogical, baseless and anti-community.”
Mondal alleged that the campaign was part of a conspiracy to mislead indigenous Miya Muslims of ancient Kamrupi origin and push them in the wrong direction.
He asserted that there is no place for communalism in Assam and said the Miya community has been living in a comparatively peaceful environment in the state. “Assam is like a heaven for the Miya community. Miyas are Assamese by heart and identity, and Assamese is their mother tongue,” he said.
The Parishad leader urged indigenous Miya Muslims to remain united against what he termed an attempt to push the community towards uncertainty and danger.
He also appealed to members of the community to identify their community as “Miya” and record “Assamese” as their mother tongue in the forthcoming Census.
