Hire Assamese Workers, Not 'Miya Muslims', Himanta Sarma Tells Contractors

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has yet again targeted 'Miya Muslims' by asking the public works departments (PWD) contractors to engage local workers instead of hiring 'Miya' workers from Dhubri. Sarma also urged his party workers and other people to file objections against 'Miya Muslims' to trouble them.

In local parlance, 'Miya Muslims' refers to the Muslim immigrants from Bangladesh living illegally in Assam.

Invoking history, Sarma told reporters, "If Lachit (an Ahom commander) can win the Saraighat war, why can't an Assamese worker construct a bridge? The time has come to change that mindset. The technical works of Bogibeel bridge were done by local Assamese 'Mising' workers. The Bogibeel bridge construction work was done 100 per cent by our local Mising workers."

Read: Himanta Sarma's "Trouble Miyas" Remark Sparks Row, Congress's Court Move

"Many Assamese workers are working at the semiconductor unit at Jagiroad. I want to ensure the economic stability of the Assamese community with infrastructure development. I have told PWD contractors to change the scenario by engaging more local workers. To do work in Majuli, we have to hire workers from Dhubri. The local workers should be given opportunity and training," Sarma stated.

He further added, "We are looking at this and taking all slew of measures to change it."

The Assam chief minister has sharpened his 'Miya Muslims' narrative ahead of elections, targeting them in every public meeting.

In the latest context, he was referring to the 'Miya Muslim' workers who had been engaged in construction works for several decades and had taken a lead role in supplying labourers from Dhubri, Barpeta, and other districts of lower Assam.

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Watchers says that the daily wages of these 'Miya Muslim' workers are comparatively lesser than the local labourers, and most of the contractors hire them from the lower Assam region.

Sarma has also encouraged the people in his state to trouble the 'Miya Muslims' to drive them back from the state. "Trouble the Miya Muslims by any means. If they face trouble, they will go from Assam. If I want to trouble a Miya, I go at 12 am. It's not an issue. We are directly against them. We are not hiding anything; we directly say we are against Miyas," he said.

The chief minister also dared the Congress to file legal cases against him for repeatedly calling Assam Congress chief Gaurav Gogoi a "Pakistani agent." He said the Congress was free to file a defamation case or lodge a police complaint if it believed his statements were false. "If they have the courage, they should file a case against me. I will face it," he added.