Assam Chief Minister calls for empowerment of Muslims through caste census

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma during a media event said that there is a need to conduct caste census among Muslims community in India. The Assam CM’s statement came at the ‘Agenda Aaj Tak event’ on 14 December. While speaking at the event Sarma said that the Muslim community in India can be empowered by caste census.

“Hindus are our brothers, but Muslims are elder brothers. It is crucial for them to be strong,” the CM said during Agenda Aaj Tak event as quoted by India Today report.

“The opposition misleads the country. Now the Hindus of the country have woken up, now Hindus will not be divided. We are one, two brothers – Hindu and Muslim,” he added.

Criticising Rahul Gandhi, Samra said that Gandhi’s move backfired in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan elections, and questioned why OBC census issues only arise during elections. During the event, he also spoke how PM Modi has long been emphasizing the need for justice for Pasmanda Muslims and a caste census within the Muslim community. 

Earlier in October, the Assam government had said that it will conduct a socio-economic survey of the state’s five indigenous Muslim communities so that measures can be taken for their upliftment. CM Sarma had held a meeting with senior officials at the state secretariat regarding it. In a post on X, the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said, “In a meeting held at Janata Bhawan, HCM Dr @himantabiswa directed the officials concerned to carry out a socio-economic assessment of Assam’s Indigenous Muslim communities (Goria, Moria, Deshi, Syed & Jolha).”

The findings of the assessment will guide the state government to take suitable measures, aimed at comprehensive socio-political and educational upliftment of the indigenous minorities, it had said.

The development came a day after the Nitish Kumar government in Bihar released findings of its much-awaited caste survey, months ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, which revealed that OBCs and EBCs constitute 63 percent of the state’s total population. Congress also asked the centre to conduct caste-based census at all-India level.

Meanwhile, the election results in four states, especially the losses in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, came as a huge blow to the Congress’s hopes for 2024, as it is now out of power across a vast swathe of the Hindi heartland. Recently, Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury recently took a dig at BJP and claimed that PM Modi is “following in the footsteps” of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

“After Rahul ji spoke about caste census, now CMs (in Rajasthan, MP and Chhattisgarh ) are appointed keeping in mind the caste equation. Modi ji is now following in the footsteps of Rahul ji. This is an effect of demand for caste census,” Chowdhury said. “Whenever Rahul ji talks about something, Modi ji also adopts it and works towards implementing it,” he added. Earlier on Sunday, Vishnu Deo Sai, a tribal leader, was declared the Chhattisgarh CM, later, the party Mohan Yadav’s name as the Madhya Pradesh CM, who is also an OBC leader.