Assam – also known as Shankar-Azanor desh – is a place where people, irrespective of religion, caste or ethnicity, have lived together in harmony for centuries. Bound together, not because of their similarities, but rather for the diversity, this place has been home to several communities who have shared this land and its resources.
And, now this very land has become the cause for polarization. We are now witness to such a phase in contemporary Assam history, where the level of polarization can be said to be on a record high. The eviction carried out by the Assam Government in Darrang district few days ago increased this a few notches higher.
But, this very eviction also brought forward a plethora of questions; the most important being – which side is the one to blame? Is it the Government who carried out this eviction or is it the settlers who were residing on this land?
I would say that the blame lies on both sides.
Without being provided time and place to re-settle to the people residing in that area, going ahead with the eviction was surely not a well-conceived idea. Political calculations as well as compulsions were also behind this eviction, which ultimately led to a violent retaliation from the settlers.
But, one cannot blame only the Government for this. It was a known fact for many months that evictions would be carried out in these areas. Community leaders of these areas were informed beforehand about this. As such, the logical step for the settlers should have been to request for an alternate resettlement plan. Instead, no such steps were taken. On the contrary, some organizations collected money from the settlers on the pretext of filing court cases to stop the eviction.
Most of these settlers are not well educated. They blindly follow the advice of local community leaders as well as leaders of some organizations and political parties. These leaders should have come forward to explain them the situation and also should have discussed with the Government about the queries of the settlers. But, this hardly happened. These leaders, who claim to represent these settlers, did not do their part properly. They remained non-committed to the cause of these settlers and are now blaming the government for everything. It is an easy thing to blame the government for everything but they should have also shouldered their responsibility.
Here, I would also like to highlight another crucial issue which might become a cause of concern in the future. A few days ago, a book by an eminent sociologist from Assam, Dr. Abu Nasar Saied Ahmed, was published. He presented me a copy of the book, with a request to review it. The book, titled ‘In Pursuit of Puritan Islam Wahhabi Outreach in Assam’ is a pioneering work on the Wahhabi-Salafi outreach in Assam. The book makes a detailed assessment of the extent of penetration that the Wahhabi-Salafi ideology has made into Assam and whether its influence sways the Muslims of the State.
(The book review I wrote, can be found here:
https://www.librarything.com/work/27088568/reviews/206136244)
The book has delved deep into the activities and reach of Tablighi Jamaat in Assam. Through several trips across Assam and discussions with community leaders, Islamic scholars, Maulanas, Muftis and Kazis, academics, and others from the Muslim community, the author has presented a detailed analysis of the type of activities carried out by Tablighi Jamaat in Assam, its religious ideologies and its influence among the local Muslims. The activities of Popular Front of India (PFI) in Assam also find a mention in the book.
The book, which is the result of an extensive Study undertaken by the author, mentions that although the number of hardcore followers of Wahhabi-Salafi ideology is insignificant, the activities of the Tablighi Jamaat is a point of concern. The author states that although their numbers are not large, but the very fact that they have spread to most of the districts of Lower and Central Assam, as well as the Barak Valley, it may influence the mindset of a section of Bengali-speaking Muslim population of Assam. Same was found in case of PFI, which the author found to be active in lower Assam and Barak Valley.
So, if we consider the extent of polarization we are witnessing currently in Assam, and the extent of infiltration of organizations like Tablighi Jamaat and PFI in the State, it can be inferred that we may see some sort of communal tensions in Assam, something which has never been seen before in the State. The security agencies are already keeping an eye on this.
The time now is for restraint and not aggression. Provocative statements from people, especially from those in power, may lead to further deterioration of the situation. This needs to stop. Also, eviction of people in Government land has to be done as per as the directions of the High Court, but this should be done after extensive consultations with the settlers. The local community leaders need to carefully assess their situation and not get influenced by third parties. This will prevent untoward incidents in the future.
