A local reporter became the latest target of  Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s communal rhetoric as the CM attempted to dodge his question about the ongoing hill cutting in his constituency Jalukbari by referring to his identity. 

The CM had earlier blamed hill cutting by the University of Science and Technology in Meghalaya for waterlogging in Guwahati, while using terms like “flood jihad”. The USTM is a private university run by a Bengali Muslim, Mahbubul Hoque, and is situated on a hill. 

On Wednesday, a video purportedly recorded outside the Assam assembly, showed reporter Shah Alam, from local web portal NewzNow, asking Sarma about reports suggesting hill cutting in Mandakata area. In response, Sarma suggested that the reporter had asked the question to protect USMT and Hoque. “Why are you trying to protect USTM? What is the reason? Do you receive advertisements from them?”

The CM then asked the reporter’s name, and as Alam identified himself, Sarma said: “You people, Shah Alam and USTM’s Mahbubul Hoque, the way you all have connected things, will we even survive? I would ask Shah Alam if we’ll even survive in Assam for long? I am asking with a smile on my face: Shah Alam and Mahbubul Hoque need to explain whether we will be able to live in Assam or not!”

Sarma’s remark was a veiled reference to what he often claims: Muslims posing threat to “indigenous” people of Assam. In his Independence Day speech on August 15, Sarma said that the changing demographic landscape in the state has disturbed Hindu-Muslim population balance, leaving the “indigenous” people feeling threatened in about 13 districts. 

Recently, he also said that the state government will soon introduce a law to counter “land jihad” by a particular community, under which Hindus and Muslims buying each other’s land in the state will have to secure government permission.

‘Felt humiliated’

Speaking to Newslaundry, Alam said that he felt “humiliated”. “As a journalist, it was my duty to ask questions. I asked him a genuine question. Moreover, a report of hill cutting in his constituency was telecasted by mainstream news channels…but instead of answering my question, he went after my name to indicate my religion and give it a communal colour.”

“In a democratic country, will a journalist have to state his religion before asking a question?” he asked. 

The Gauhati Press Club also issued a statement expressing concern at “journalist targeted over religious identity”. It said that it has noted “with concern increasing instances of disparaging responses by political leaders when journalists ask them questions, as part of the job, during press interactions. In the latest case, the honourable chief minister pulled the religious identity of a journalist into context without any apparent relevance during a press interaction on August 21”. 

The press body said that it “expresses deep concern at such an incident. We urge all political leaders to ensure no recurrence of such instances in the future, and show dignity to their position as well as the role of media”. 

Several other media bodies, including the Journalist Association For Assam and Journalists’ Union of Assam, also condemned Sarma’s remarks.

In recent weeks, Sarma has consistently promoted communal rhetoric and unverified accusations against Mahbubul Hoque and USTM. He earlier claimed that the domed entrance of the university resembles ‘Mecca’ and claimed it endangers Assamese culture and heritage. “They have kept a ‘Mecca’ there. Let them make a namghar, make a church. We will walk under all three, why will we walk under just one,” he had said.

Amid his remarks, USTM was featured among the top 200 universities in the National Institutional Ranking Framework 2024 recently announced by the ministry of education. It is the only private university from the Northeast to make it to the list.

Newslaundry had earlier reported how Sarma has built his reputation as the BJP loudmouth – from using terms like “fertiliser jihad” to comparing Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to controversial ex-Iraq president Saddam Hussein. Read here.

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