The Muslim Question in Assam and Northeast India

202 Pages·2021·2.222 MB·English

by  Monoj Kumar Nath

THE MUSLIM QUESTION IN ASSAM AND
NORTHEAST INDIA
This book presents a systematic study of the transformation of the specific
socio-political identity of Muslims in Assam. It discusses the issues of
Muslims under India’s ‘indigenous secularism’, Hindu nationalism and the
rise of majoritarian politics; Muslim immigration into Assam after indepen-
dence; the Assam Movement and the shift of Muslims from being a vote
bank to an autonomous force in the post-Partition politics of Assam; the
role of Jamiat; and the divide between the Assamese and the neo-Assamese.
It explores the history and contemporary politics of the state to show how
they shape the new context of Muslim identity in Assam, where previously
an Assamese identity often prevailed over religious and linguistic identity.
With the current debates on illegal immigration, the National Register of
Citizens of India (NRC) and the Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2019, this
book will be a timely addition to the existing literature on Muslim minority
politics in Assam and northeast India.
This book will be useful to scholars and researchers of political science,
sociology, political sociology, minority studies, northeast India studies,
demography and immigration studies, and development studies. It will
interest those concerned with minority politics, communal politics, identity
politics, migration, citizenship issues and South Asian studies.
Monoj Kumar Nath is Associate Professor at the Department of Political
Science, Dibrugarh University, Assam, India. He previously taught at
Nowgong College, Nagaon, Assam (2003–19). He received his postgraduate
degree from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi and completed his
PhD from Gauhati University, Assam. His publications include research
papers in journals such as Economic and Political Weekly, Strategic Analysis,
Studies in Indian Politics and Dialogue Quarterly. His areas of interest
include minority politics, ethnic politics in northeast India and identity
politics.

THE MUSLIM QUESTION
IN ASSAM AND
NORTHEAST INDIA
Monoj Kumar Nath
First published 2021
by Routledge
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© 2021 Monoj Kumar Nath
The right of Monoj Kumar Nath to be identified as author of this work
has been asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this book are solely
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ISBN: 978-0-367-42967-6 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-0-367-75294-1 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-003-00048-8 (ebk)
Typeset in Sabon
by SPi Global, India
To my wife Santana and daughter Saranya
v

CONTENTS
Abbreviations viii
Acknowledgements ix
Introduction: The Muslim question in India’s northeast 1
1 Muslims in Assam till independence 15
2 After independence: Social and political alliance of Muslims 49
3 The Assam Movement: Muslims as the issue 75
4 After Assam Movement: Muslim political mobilisation
and demographic change 100
5 The divides: Electoral dominance, citizenship and the
idea of ‘Assamese’ 142
Conclusion: The question of identity among the
Assam Muslims 166
Bibliography 178
Index 187
vii
ABBREVIATIONS
AAMSU All Assam Minority Students’ Union
AASU All Assam Students’ Union
ABVP Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad
AGP Asom Gana Parishad
AIUDF All India United Democratic Front
ASS Asom Sahitya Sabha
AUDF Assam United Democratic Front
BJP Bharatiya Janata Party
BPF Bodo Peoples Front
CAA Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019
CRPC Citizens’ Rights Preservation Committee
GASS Ganatantrik Adhikar Sangram Samiti
IM(DT) Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunals) Act, 1983
MLA Member of Legislative Assembly
MP Member of Parliament
NRC National Register of Citizens
RSS Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh
SCs Scheduled Castes
STs Scheduled Tribes
UMFA Unisted Minority Front, Assam
viii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Before independence, like many other regions of British India, Assam’s poli-
tics was heavily influenced by the Muslim League because of the state’s then
administrative set-up and population strength of Muslims. In the post-inde-
pendence period, however, the Assam Muslims remained unique to their
counterparts living in other parts of India for several reasons. The perennial
controversy of Muslim immigration from East Pakistan and then Bangladesh,
the issues of high population growth among Muslims, the Assam Movement,
citizenship issues like Doubtful voter and recent up-gradation of NRC etc.
have made the Muslims living in Assam an exception from their counter-
parts. The community, during this period, has even drawn the attention of
the international community on several occasions. However, the Muslim
issue in the politics of Assam has not received the academic attention it
deserves until now.
The Muslim question in Assam is peculiar. The Assamese Muslims are
always considered as a community more Assamese than Muslim. The
immigrant Muslims of Brahmaputra valley became the Assamese by sacri-
ficing their language and culture. The liberal Assamese society accepted the
Muslims as an integral part of Assamese nationality. Assam emerged as a
place inhabited by kind and humanistic people in a secular liberal society.
It became an example of Hindu-Muslim unity in South Asia. But in recent
times, it has become apparent that these communities that were once fused
together are now divided, disrespectful and almost hateful towards one
another. It seems, in Assam, as though the Assamese people are increasingly
becoming ‘Hindus’ and ‘Muslims’ by abandoning their secular Assamese
identity.
This book is a modest attempt to understand the Muslim question in the
politics of Assam during the post-independence period. While it shows the
journey of the Assam Muslims in the politics of the state since the colonial
period, at the same time it traces the growing divides between the Hindus
and Muslims in recent decades. In this attempt, any error of fact or interpre-
tations of this book remains mine alone.
I must take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the people who
supported and helped me in my endeavour to publish this book. I would
ix