‘Assam has done much for migrants’

Minister says persecuted minorities from abroad can settle elsewhere in India

Hemanta Biswa Sarma

Assam’s Minister for Education Himanta Biswa Sarma has said that while his party is committed to providing citizenship rights to all Hindus who migrate to India fearing religious persecution, the BJP is willing to take on board concerns of its ally, the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP).

The Centre moved an amendment to the Citizenship Act last year that seeks to provide citizenship to Hindus in other countries who face religious persecution.

Violation of accord

The Bill is now under the consideration of a parliamentary select committee. The AGP, in its deposition before the committee, opposed the Bill as it violates the terms of the 1985 Assam Accord.

“It is important for us to see that if a Hindu family faces religious persecution in South Asia or anywhere, he or she may find a home back here, like a

bahu [daughter-in-law] who is made to suffer in her marital home, has an option to come back to her father’s home. So equally, every Hindu should feel that there is a country called India; ‘that if nothing works out, I can go and settle there’,” Mr. Sarma said.

He went on to say, “When it comes to the Asom Gana Parishad, they also feel that yes, Hindus should be given shelter and citizenship but [that] Assam has already taken more than its fair share and no further settlement should take place in Assam.”

Mr Sarma said the BJP was keen that such Hindus be settled in the country but not necessarily in Assam. Proposing that those who were already settled should not be displaced, Mr. Sarma said those who came in future could go to other parts of the country as Assam had already taken in over a crore of migrants, both Hindu and Muslim.

“Those who are already here, let them settle, and further addition can, through an assurance by Government of India, settle somewhere else,” the Minister said.

Criteria for candidates

Mr. Sarma also said the BJP government in Assam would push to set minimum educational qualifications required for contesting local body polls in the State, on the lines of stipulations in Haryana and Rajasthan.

“There will, of course be a few relaxations for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes as the State has not managed to reach these communities as well as it should have in terms of educational and other opportunities,” he said.

Pragmatic on beef

On the question of beef and its consumption in the north-eastern States clashing with the BJP’s stand on cow slaughter and its ambitions for expansion in the region, Mr. Sarma took a pragmatic line. He said RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s demand for an all-India Bill on banning cow slaughter was not different from anything mentioned in the Constitution, but that it may not be implementable as of now.

“The issue of ban on cow slaughter is very important from our party’s point of view and it is also a part of the Directive Principles of State Policy. But when it comes to the northeast, where a large population exists that eats beef, the BJP’s commitment is to maintain the cultural diversity of India,” he said.

Pointing out that while many policies may be appropriate “for one place in the country and not be fit for another place”, Mr Sarma said,

“But I think the party needs to respect the cultural diversity of the country ... and that is why the anti-cow slaughter bill or a ban on cow slaughter is not as central as reducing regional disparities in the northeast.”

“Within the northeast, too, there is diversity on this issue. For example in Assam there is a strong feeling that there should be a ban on cow slaughter but in neighbouring States there are people who eat beef. So, in our country it is diverse, and within northeast there is also diversity, so maybe to implement a ban all India may not be immediately possible,” he said.