Miya Muslims
- @ According to India Today, North East, Assamese-speaking indigenous Muslims consist of 37 per cent of the total Muslim population, while the remaining 63 per cent are the Miyas.
To be recognised in Assam
Himanta Sarma asserted that for the Miya community to be recognised in Assam, people of the community must follow some cultural practices and norms.
Conditions for recognition
The Assamese Chief Minister highlighted:
- limiting family size to two children,
- withholding polygamy, and
- preventing marriage of minor daughters as some of the requirements for the Miya community to be recognised as indigenous in the northeastern state.
Government cracked down the child marriage practice since 2023
- The Himanta Sarma-led BJP government in Assam cracked down against child marriage in two phases in 2023.
- It was found that several elderly men married multiple times, and their wives were mostly young girls, hailing from the poor section of society, Sarma had said earlier.
February and October, 2023 phases
In the first phase in February 2023, as many as 3,483 persons were arrested and 4,515 cases registered, while 915 persons were caught and 710 cases were registered in the second phase in October.
Political mileage by Sarma
In October last year, Himanta Sarma said that the BJP doesn't need the votes of Miyas for the next 10 years until they reform themselves by quitting practices such as polygamy, child marriage, among others.
Origin from Bangladesh
- The Bengali-speaking Muslims, originally from Bangladesh (known as East Pakistan before 1971), have spread to several pockets of Assam.
Power in nearly 30 assembly constituencies
- Their strength is such that they now decide the fate of nearly 30 assembly constituencies in Assam 126 seats.
Recognised Assamese speaking Muslims as Indigenous Assamese Muslims, in 2022
In 2022, the state cabinet officially recognised around 40 lakh Assamese-speaking Muslims as "indigenous Assamese Muslims", distinguishing them from the Bangladeshi immigrants. India Today
