History and Art and Culture
In news: Miya Museum, a private centre, showcasing the culture and heritage of Bengali-speaking or Bengal-origin Muslims in Assam, was sealed 2 days after its inauguration.
- The action was taken as a house allotted under the Prime Minister’s Awas Yojana-Gramin scheme was converted into a museum in violation of the rules.
About:
- The genesis of the controversy lies in the politics of polarisation in Assam fuelled by the fear of a demographic invasion by the so-called “illegal immigrants” from Bangladesh.
- The migrant Muslims form the bulk of Assam’s Muslims accounting for more than 34% of the State’s 3.3 crore people.
- The BJP has allegedly been pitting Assamese Muslims, considered ‘khilonjia’ (indigenous), against the Bengali-speaking Muslims and had approved the awarding of special status to five groups of indigenous Muslims; in line with the BJP’s vow to protect the ‘bhumiputras’ (sons of the soil) from illegal immigrants.
- The word ‘Miya’ is used pejoratively against the Bengali-speaking Muslims and was thus seen as a bid to assert the ‘Miya’ identity and by default, intimidation to the current dispensation.
- The Bengal-origin Muslim community began promoting ‘Miya’ culture as a counter-campaign against the exercise to update the National Register of Citizens in Assam
Source: The Hindu
