GUWAHATI: Opposition All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) MLA Ashraful Hussain ignited a controversy with his comments Sunday night that “Miyas” – a term used disparagingly to refer to immigrant Muslims of Bangladeshi origin – would not work in upper Assam districts unless welcomed respectfully with the traditional handwoven gamosa and tamul-paan, symbols integral to Assamese culture.
Hussain’s remarks come in the wake of backlash against “Miyas”, following the Aug 22 gang rape of a Class 10 student by three youths from the minority community in Nagaon district.
Several local organisations representing ethnic groups in upper Assam had demanded that Bengali-speaking immigrants leave the region.
The fallout has led to a labour shortage in industries like brick kilns, as many of these immigrant workers reside in lower Assam.
The 27-year-old MLA, the youngest in the Assam assembly, asked: “Under what kind of security our workers will go there? Our workers have plenty of places to work, in Delhi, in Kerala, and in many places in lower Assam.” Workers could easily earn Rs 500 a day near their villages, he said.
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