Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Thursday that a person can claim to be indigenous, if they show their document or identity, before conversion. He was sharing insight on Mission Basundhara in the state assembly.
“You people can claim to be indigenous if you show your document or identity before you were converted, then you too will get indigenous status,” said Assam CM.
He also asserted that there were some Hindus, who were forcefully converted to Islam during the Mughal period. Sarma gave an option and said that these people could return to their originality by accepting Hinduism again, thereby getting their indigenous status back.
While on Thursday the CM was talking about the land allotment and Patta distribution to the indigenous people of Assam.
He cited the definition of indigenous- “People who live in a place for years and years, are the indigenous people. Aboriginals are the indigenous people as we say the Red Indians are the indigenous people in America.”
In this context, he said that anyone coming and settling down in Assam from outside of Assam can’t be called indigenous.
Replying to a counter question of opposition MLA about the Miyaan (the Bengali speaking, Bangladesh-origin Muslim) not getting Patta, the CM reacted that Miyan’s came recently, adding “Even people came to this land (Assam) 100 years back can’t be said as indigenous.
Himanta Biswa Sarma categorically said that Basundhara is not for the migrant Muslim. He stated that for the people who came to Assam from other parts of the country, there would be another process of land allotment.
Regarding land allotment to the people of Char (Reverine) areas CM Sarma said till date the land assessment has not been done. The Congress government did not even start the registration process of land in Char areas. There should be a separate policy to be taken out for Char areas, he said.
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