Rahul Gandhi indirectly encourages secessionist elements by calling India a Union of States and whoever closes madrassas and talks about the Uniform Civil Code is, in fact, a friend of Indian Muslims, India’s chief minister said on Sunday. Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma.
“If India is a Union of States, what about 5,000 years of rich history? When the Congress called itself the Indian National Congress and held meetings across India, did that mean it was a Union of States? By calling it a Union of States, Rahul Gandhi talks about breaking up the country. Indirectly, it encourages secessionist sentiments. It is not different from what ULFA says, only the language used may be different,” Sarma said at an event in Delhi commemorating 75 years of RSS-linked magazines Panchjanya and Organiser.
“But it’s not his fault. He can take someone’s lessons from JNU and learn these things,” he said.
Speaking at an event in London on Saturday, Gandhi said India was a Union of States as described in the Constitution.
Sarma had previously been in Congress for 22 years. He said betraying the Gandhi family is seen as betraying the nation in Congress, while in the BJP the nation is above the party.
Assam’s chief minister, who has launched a controversial initiative to shut down government-funded madrassas in the state, has said the word “madrassa” should disappear if Indian Muslims want to advance in education. “If you want to teach religion, you do it at home. In schools, we learn science, mathematics…”
Targeting AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi, Sarma said closing madrassas and implementing the Uniform Civil Code would benefit Muslims. “We don’t have to do this for Hindutva. Those who close madrassas and enforce the Uniform Civil Code, Indian Muslims should call them their friend and Owaisi their enemy,” he said.
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Sarma was speaking on a day when authorities demolished the homes of people allegedly involved in a police station fire. He said the episode happened in one of 12 districts where Indians (bharat ke mool niwasi) are in the minority and migrants in the majority.
“First we have to make sure that we don’t lose more land (to migrants), more constituencies… Later when the NRC is implemented, the definition of what is legal and illegal will come, and then we we will have the opportunity to do more.”
Sarma said the 36% Muslim population in Assam is divided into three types of people. One, who are “indigenous Muslims”, whose culture and ways of life are like “you and me”. The second is of those who, according to him, probably converted two generations ago. “Their homes still have the Tulsi factory in front and their ladies still observe our customs. Apart from these two, the others settled before or after 1971. They identify themselves as Miya,” he said when asked how he distinguished between native Muslims and Miya Muslims.
Sarma said integrating Northeasterners with the mainstream was one of his dream projects. “We should feel like Indians like people in UP and Delhi feel…. even now, a marginal section has problems, solving this is our responsibility. Activism in the North East is almost over. The Northeast changes every day. What was once a broken link with the mainland is now back,” he said.
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