Assam: Opposition Parties Demand CM’s Removal over Communal Incitement and Law and Order Failures
THE law and order situation in Assam has rapidly deteriorated in recent weeks, marked by growing communal tensions. The BJP-led government, headed by chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, has been fanning communal hatred and failing to provide adequate protection to minority communities and 'outsiders' (non-indigenous people).
Under the current administration in Assam, there has been an increase in incidents of horrific crimes, including sexual assaults, rape, and murder across the state. Instead of addressing these crimes, chief minister Sarma has been leading a venomous campaign against Muslim minorities, violating constitutional principles and promoting communal hostility.
The assault of a 17-year-old girl by two persons from the Marwari business community in Sivasagar town on August 13 sparked protests and chauvinistic rhetoric, with certain groups issuing threats against 'outsiders.' In response, members of the town’s Marwari community issued a public apology for the incident, kneeling in the presence of state minister Ranoj Pegu and top officials of the district administration, including the deputy commissioner and the superintendent of police. The escalating tensions and growing mistrust between indigenous and non-indigenous communities have spread to other districts of Upper Assam.
In another incident, the gang-rape of a 14-year-old girl in the Muslim-dominated Dhing area of Nagaon district on August 22 provoked sectarian outrage, causing tensions to grip Upper Assam districts and prompting thousands of Muslims of East Bengal origin, (derogatorily called by the BJP as ‘Miya Muslims’) to flee.
As tensions continue to escalate in Assam’s Sivasagar district, where local groups have claimed that indigenous identity is under threat and some have called for “all Miyas” to leave within a week, the administration and police have conducted flag marches in parts of the state.
Not just in Sivasagar, but many parts of Assam have been tense following a series of incidents that have resulted in inter-community tensions, particularly after the gang-rape in Nagaon district on August 22. One of the three accused, Tafazul Islam, who was arrested on August 23, died in police custody the next day.
The August 22 incident intensified tensions in the state, with chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and other ministers describing it as an “attack on the indigenous” by 'Miya' Muslims. On August 27, chief minister Sarma went so far as to declare that he would not allow 'Miya' Muslims to "take over" Assam. He made this statement in the assembly during a discussion on adjournment motions moved by opposition parties to address the law and order situation in the state following the gang-rape in the Dhing area.
The law and order situation in Assam has been deteriorating day by day, with the government failing to protect women or address the burning issues faced by the people. It has failed on multiple fronts, including the long-standing demand for granting Scheduled Tribe status to six backward communities of the state, which remains unfulfilled. The final list of the Supreme Court-monitored upgradation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam has yet to be notified by the Registrar General of India. Moreover, the government has done little to address the recurring problems of floods and erosion, rising unemployment, and the skyrocketing prices of essential commodities. The Himanta Biswa Sarma government is relying on communal and divisive tactics to cover up its failures.
Dissent against the state government is growing rapidly, and the BJP’s support base is shrinking. Communal campaigns have also been used to divert attention from corruption charges against the chief minister and his wife.
OPPOSITION PARTIES DEMAND
ARREST AND DISMISSAL OF CM
The coalition of 18 opposition parties in Assam, including the Congress, the Left, and regional parties, filed an FIR with the Dispur Police Station against the chief minister on August 28 for promoting enmity between different groups. Additionally, they submitted a memorandum on August 29 to the president of India, requesting his removal from office.
The representatives of the United Opposition Forum of Assam, comprising 18 opposition political parties, submitted a memorandum to the president of India through the office of the governor of Assam, expressing grave concerns about the law and order situation in the state and the gross violation of the Indian Constitution by Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. The points raised by the opposition parties against chief minister include:
Himanta Biswa Sarma has been making a series of hate speeches and provocative statements targeting the Muslim community in Assam.
(a) Just a few months before the 18th Parliamentary Elections, he incited youths to evict Muslim vendors and labourers from Guwahati, who have been earning their livelihood as vegetable vendors, rickshaw and cart pullers, private drivers, and labourers in construction and other sectors.
(b) He continues to make claims about Muslims encroaching on areas and forcing others to leave.
(c) Muslim journalists, such as Shah Alam, are being targeted with communal innuendos, questioning whether Muslims would allow other communities to remain in Assam.
These statements have created hatred and disharmony among communities and have the potential to cause further unrest.
Sarma's attempts to incite communal frenzy following the Dhing rape case led to attacks on Muslims in Sivasagar by BJP workers and leaders. This has resulted in a breakdown of law and order, with many Muslims fleeing from the districts of upper Assam to their original home districts in lower Assam.
Extensive corruption and property accumulation by Sarma, his wife, and children have been exposed by the media, revealing a long list of illegal properties across the country and abroad. This includes land, buildings, tea gardens, resorts, five-star hotels, and schools.
Assam has the highest number of police encounters and deaths in the country. Under Sarma’s rule, crimes such as rape, murder, and dacoity have become regular occurrences. According to government records, 17,657 rape cases were registered in Assam between 2016 and 2023. Alarmingly, 580 rape cases were reported in the first seven months of 2024 alone, with 15 cases of rape and murder recorded in August 2024. It is also pertinent to mention that on the eve of Independence Day, August 15, 2024, the ULFA planted bombs in 25 different locations in Assam, but the police failed to prevent even a single attack.
In view of these facts, the parties urged the president of India to remove Himanta Biswa Sarma from his office.
The signatories to the memorandum included: Bhupen Kumar Bora, president of APCC & United Opposition Forum; Debabrata Saikia, leader of the opposition in the Assam assembly; Congress Lok Sabha members Pradyut Bordoloi and Rakibul Hussain; Lurin Jyoti Gogoi, general secretary of the United Opposition Forum and president of Asom Jatiya Parishad; Isfaqur Rahman, CPI(M) Central Committee member; Paresh Baruah, state general secretary of NCP (SP); Arupjyoti Mahanta (AITC); Russel Hussain (Raijor Dal); Charan Deka (PLP), and others.
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