Ethnic tensions rekindled as state govt suggests to arm 'indigenous’ Assamese
The state government wants to arm only indigenous people for self-defence. For BJP Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, such a step is justified on security grounds, while the opposition sees the attempt to provide weapons to some communities as exacerbating tensions with Bengali Muslims.
Dispur (AsiaNews) – The Assam state government announced plans to grant firearms licences to "indigenous people" living in vulnerable areas, setting off alarm bells in the country.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, a member of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ultranationalist Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), justified the measure as a response to the need for self-defence in remote areas subject to attacks, boosting the sense of security in local communities, especially those near forests or rivers, who are often victims of kidnapping or extortion.
Sarma, who also serves as Assam's home minister, insisted that people want to defend themselves because they feel helpless, and police stations are often too far.
However, this step is not going down well in the northeastern Indian state, which has complex social make-up and has faced challenges like immigration and ethnic identity for decades.
Several opposition leaders have questioned the rationale behind selective licencing, suggesting that a more effective approach would be to improve the existing security situation by increasing the number of police stations and strengthening law enforcement.
The crux of the matter lies in the definition of “indigenous people.” Although the government has not provided a specific list, the BJP’s dominant political narrative tends to identify “indigenous people” with Assam’s indigenous ethnic groups, often in opposition to what it calls “Bengali migrants”, especially those who are Muslim.
This raises concerns that the gun licencing policy could be used to selectively arm a section of the population, exacerbating existing divisions and fostering militarisation along sectarian lines.
Sarma named five specific districts, all predominantly Muslim, where the measure will be implemented.
Concerns regarding this policy have been amplified by recent actions taken by the Assam government that appear to echo past anti-Muslim propaganda.
Measures such as clearance operations in areas predominantly inhabited by Muslims of Bangladeshi origin, often labelled as “invaders” or “illegal immigrants”, have led to displacement and further marginalisation.
The government's rhetoric, which links the presence of these communities to a "demographic shift" and a "danger" to Assamese culture, has been compared by some analysts to what led to violence in 1965, when the state saw clashes and discrimination against Muslims.
Assamese Muslims came from East Bengal (East Pakistan), which became the independent nation of Bangladesh in 1971. In 1965, during one of the wars between India and Pakistan, many Muslims from Assam were expelled because they were accused of being "infiltrators". New Delhi has recently dusted off the same rhetoric.
An Indian news website, The Wire, notes that Sarma was also a leader of the opposition Congress party, and had already used communal tensions for his own political career in the past.
Now, in an attempt to win the support of tribal and Assamese voters in next year’s state legislative elections, the chief minister has adopted the BJP's rhetoric against Muslims.
It is no coincidence that Sarma has also recently made comments against the Bangladesh government.
Some now fear that his proposal could lead to the creation of ethnic militias, legitimised by the state, which could be used to impose a certain social order and intimidate minorities.
This situation is not very different from that in neighbouring Manipur, scene of inter-communal violence between ethnic Kukis and Meiteis, which India’s central government has proven unable to solve.
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