Author: Deepak Sharma, in Indraprasth
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: January 14, 2001
It's a terrible blow to Assam's
composite culture. After the ISI menace, the Centre fears that the unabated
inflow of Bangladeshi infiltrators may well end up altering the demographic
character of the border State.
In fact, the Muslim population is
expected to cross the 33 per cent-mark in this year's census. And with
the task of fencing of International Border far from complete, observers
fear that the Muslims (or the Bangladeshis) will constitute the "majority"
in another twenty years.
Sources in the Ministry of Home
Affairs say that the five "worst-affected" border districts are Dhubri,
Barpeta, Karimganj, Mangaldoi and Katcher "which will soon have a Muslim
majority". What has caused particular concern to the Centre is that the
ISI game plan is now yielding "tangible results" and if allowed unchecked,
it may ruin the State not in too distant future. "The ISI through its covert
operations has ruined the State," said a senior Assam Government official.
A report tabled in the State Assembly
by Chief Minister Prafulla Mahanta says that "the ISI is providing active
assistance to local militant outfits". Further, the ISI has succeeded in
creating (and sustaining) militant groups on communal/ethnic lines, says
the 20-page report.
An Assam police report says that
there are 11 Muslim militant groups active in the state prominent of which
are: the Muslim United Liberation Front of Assam, Muslim Liberation Tigers
of Assam, Islamic Liberation Army of Assam, Muslim Volunteer Force, Islamic
Sevak Sangh, United Reformation Protest of Assam, Adam Sena and Harkat-ul-jehad.
These outfits routinely extort money, recruit cadres, and train them in
handling arms and explosives.
Most of the top arrested militants
have been connected with activities of Madrasas which have mushroomed along
the bordering districts. In Dhubri alone there 500 such Madrasas. Even
ULFA's commander-in-chief Paresh Barua, now reportedly hiding in Karachi,
was issued a Bangladeshi passport in name of Kamaruddin Zaman Khan, courtesy
ISI.
On the contrary there is a sharp
decline in the Hindu population in the state. From 71.04 per cent in 1971
census it came down to 67.13 (in 1991) and is expected to slide down even
more by year 2001. Whereas the Muslim population rising from a meagre 12
per cent in 1947 just doubled in next thirty years." In 1991, the Muslim
shared 28.43 per cent of the entire population of the state. By year 2031
it's expected to gain a majority of 51 per cent in Assam," said a Home
Ministry official.
The changing demographic pattern
now endangers the rich heritage and legacy of the state. History reveals
that Assam was one of the kingdoms in India which strongly resisted the
Mughal rule. Time and again, the Mughal armies were crushed by the Tai-Ahoms
ruling Assam for 600 years. Even during Independence the Hindu-dominated
state refused to budge when Muslim league tried to re-draw the maps in
India's north-east.