Himanta flags Congress' ‘Natun Bor Asom' slogan, asks what it means

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday criticised the Congress' slogan of 'Natun Bor Asom' (new greater Assam), asking whether it implied an Assamese society that includes illegal Bangladeshi immigrants. He demanded the opposition party to clarify the concept of the slogan, which is being used by state Congress chief Gaurav Gogoi to seek support ahead of the Assembly elections. Sarma asserted that he will fight the 'Miyas', identifying them as Bangladeshi infiltrators, with all his might as it is a ''matter of life and death for Assamese people''. ''What is this 'Natun Bor Asom'? What does it mean?'' questioned Sarma while speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a Me-Dam-Me-Phi celebration in Guwahati, a religious occasion of the Tai-Ahom community when offerings are made to the gods and ancestors. ''For us, Bor Asom was established 600 years ago by Swargadeo Chaolung Siu-Ka-Pha (the founder of the Ahom dynasty),'' Sarma added. ''Perhaps, their concept of Natun Bor Asom means including illegal Bangladeshis in our Assamese society,'' the chief minister said. Referring to a graffiti bearing the slogan 'Natun Bor Asom' on the walls of a Congress office that he noticed while travelling to the event, Sarma said, ''It is a dangerous slogan and no one seems to have noticed it.'' Speaking to reporters again after a programme at Khumtai in Golaghat district, Sarma said, ''We understand the 'Bor Asom' of Chaolung Siu-Ka-Pha. Sometimes, one may speak of a new, developed Assam. But the Congress is trying to include the 'Miyas' (Bengali-speaking Muslims) in the definition of Assamese people.'' ''If BJP was not here, they would have built their 'Natun Asom' and sold it to the Miyas. They say that I speak against Miyas, but then these people have encroached our 'satras' (Vaishnavite seats of learning), land, done 'love jihad' and 'fertiliser jihad','' the chief minister claimed. He accused the Congress of forgetting about the Assamese people and going only after the Miyas. ''If someone says anything against Asomiyas (Assamese people), they don't have a problem. But if something is said against Miyas, they make a lot of noise. By Miyas I means Bangladeshi infiltrators,'' Sarma asserted. ''Congress and Gaurav Gogoi have gone mad for Miya votes. But I will do everything possible to chase them as it is the matter of life and death of Assamese people,'' he claimed. 'Miya' is originally a pejorative term used for Bengali-speaking Muslims in Assam and the non-Bengali speaking people generally identify them as Bangladeshi immigrants. In recent years, activists from the community have started adopting this term as a gesture of defiance. Sarma maintained that the ''Assamese people have understood it and have to unite'' against it.