HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, Jan 27: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday asserted that no Assamese people are facing any problems due to the ongoing Special Revision (SR) of electoral rolls in Assam, claiming that only ‘Miyas’—a term used for Bengali-speaking Muslims—are finding the process difficult.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a programme in Digboi, Sarma said the current SR exercise was only a preliminary step and that when the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is carried out in the state, four to five lakh ‘Miya’ votes would be removed from the electoral rolls.
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He maintained that those who do not belong to the state should not be allowed to vote in Assam.
“There is no problem for Assamese people because of the Special Revision. If Miyas are facing difficulties, why should we be concerned?” Sarma said, reiterating that the exercise was aimed at protecting the state’s identity.
He claimed that arrangements were being made to ensure that such voters do not participate in elections in Assam.
The chief minister further alleged that demographic changes were becoming evident in parts of Upper Assam.
Referring to land transaction data from Tinsukia district, Sarma claimed that more Hindus were selling land while more ‘Miya’ Muslims were purchasing it.
“If we are not cautious now, they will spread to places like Duliajan, Digboi and Tinsukia,” he said.
Sarma said the Congress was free to criticise him, but asserted that his responsibility was to take steps that would prevent ‘Miyas’ from voting in the state.
He had earlier claimed that during the ongoing SR, notices were being served only to ‘Miya’ voters to “keep them under pressure”, and that no Hindu or Assamese Muslim had received such notices.
The chief minister also sharpened his attack on the Congress ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections, saying voters would have to decide whether they wanted a government that “surrenders before illegal immigrants” or one that safeguards Assam’s identity and culture.
Addressing the 77th Republic Day celebrations in Dibrugarh on Monday, Sarma said people had to choose between a past marked by bomb blasts, protests and fear, and a present focused on peace and development.
He further linked Assam’s development to the preservation of its identity, stating that the influx of people from East Bengal had significantly altered the state’s demographic structure.
Comparing the 2011 Census with projections for the 2027 Census, Sarma claimed that the population share of people of East Bengal origin could rise to 40 per cent, adding that Hindus have already become a minority in 12 districts of the state.
Meanwhile, opposition parties have alleged that the SR exercise is being misused to harass genuine citizens, particularly religious minorities, through the use of Form 7, which allows for objections and deletion of names from electoral rolls.
The Election Commission has maintained that the Special Revision is being conducted to prepare an error-free electoral roll.
The Integrated Draft Roll for Assam was published on December 27, while the filing of claims and objections continued till January 22.
The final electoral roll is scheduled to be published on February 10.
The SR is being carried out under the direction of the Election Commission as part of a Supreme Court-supervised process to verify citizenship, which is yet to be concluded. (With inputs from PTI)
