Definition of Assamese changed due to infiltrators: CM Himanta Sarma
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Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma (file photo)
Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Saturday that the definition of Assamese must include people who have lived in the state for centuries, such as Hindi speakers and tea tribes. He said that the definition has undergone change over the years, PTI reported.
According to him, a mass movement is needed to convince people that the identity of the Assamese community can be preserved through "quality".
"A mass movement is needed so that we can convince the people that though we do not have the numbers, with quality, we can keep our Assamese identity alive," the CM said.
Speaking at a programme in which rehabilitation grants were distributed under the ULFA Peace Accord to surrendered cadres, Sarma claimed, "The situation in Assam is not due to some policy of the central government but due to infiltration from Bangladesh, which changed the demography of the state. When the census report comes, Assamese people will be only about 40 per cent of the population."
Mr Sarma said that the definition of Assamese has undergone change over the years, and it must include communities such as the tea tribes and Hindi speakers who have been living here for over a century.
He claimed that Assamese people are dwindling in numbers but they can come together to assert their identity, he said. The definition of Assamese has undergone change over the years, and it must include communities such as the tea tribes and Hindi speakers who have been living here for over a century, he asserted.
He praised the ULFA leadership and cadres for returning to mainstream and asked them to urge those who were still involved in the armed fight to join them.
"I always ask Paresh Barua to come and spend 10 days in Assam. After that, he will not want to return to Myanmar or China," he said, referring to the chief of the ULFA (I), which has refused to come forward for peace talks.