Himanta Biswa Sarma

Class:

Anti-Muslim Bigot, Anti-Muslim Bigotry, Islamophobe, Islamophobia, Profile

Islamophobic Remarks :

Himanta Biswa Sarma, the chief minister of Assam at the moment, is well-known for his strong Hindu nationalism beliefs. Sarma, 52, is regarded as the most potent and well-known politician in India’s northeastern regions. Before the assembly elections in 2015, Sarma defected from the Congress party, which he believes was responsible for his early ascent. He then joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He is credited with being a key player in the defeat of Tarun Gogoi, the three-term Congress chief minister, in the 2016 assembly elections.

Sarma’s switch to the BJP, however, called into question the veracity of the corruption charges leveled against him in the multi-million dollar Louis Berger fraud, as well as the inconsistencies in the water supply system and the Sharada chit fund scam. The inquiries into the cases have slowed since jumping the ships.

Sarma played a key role in the formation of the North-East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), a regional coalition of BJP allies that established governments in seven northeastern states. Sarma entered politics during the height of the deadly Assam Agitation in the 1980s.

Sarma furthered Assamese ethnonationalism and polarized society along religious lines when he stated in an interview during his campaign for the 2021 assembly elections that elections in Assam could not be contested solely on development considerations.

He declared in February 2021 that the BJP did not require the support of Assamese Muslims of Bengali descent, sometimes known as “Miya” Muslims, in order to win the elections.

They’ve begun referring to themselves as Miyas. These so-called Miya people participate in numerous activities aimed at perverting Assamese language and culture. They are also very communal and fundamental. Therefore, with their vote, I do not wish to be an MLA. If they voted for me, I won’t be able to sit in the Assembly, Sarma said to Guwahati reporters. He went on to say that anyone who identify as Muslims will not be issued tickets by the BJP.

Sarma made a divisive speech regarding “integrating Bangladesh” on September 7, 2022, while Sheikh Hasina, the prime minister of the neighboring country, was in India for a diplomatic visit.

Islamophobic Statements :

“Those who smuggle cows should be caught at all costs… I don’t even want it to go to the chargesheet stage (implying they should be killed) because our cows need to be protected…. A cow is like a god to us.”

“Hindu boy lying to Hindu girl is also Jihad. We will bring a law against it.”: Himanta Biswa Sarma

“They have started identifying themselves as Miyas (Muslims). These so called Miya people are very communal and fundamental and they are involved in many activities to distort Assamese culture and Assamese language. So, I don’t want to be an MLA with their vote. I will not be able to sit in the Assembly if they voted for me.”

“Even the Muslims in India were children of Hindus six or twelve or twenty generations ago. Even a Christian in India was a Hindu at one point of time. Hinduism is a continuous flow.”