The Muslim Question in Assam and Northeast India 9780367429676, 9780367752941, 9781003000488
398 67 973KB
English Pages [202] Year 2021
Table of contents :
Cover
Half Title
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Table of Contents
List of Abbreviations
Acknowledgements
Introduction: The Muslim question in India’s northeast
Muslims as a political community in India’s northeast
Muslim identity: National perspective and ‘specific context’
The structure of the book
Chapter 1: Muslims in Assam till independence
Immigration to Assam in pre-historic time
Immigration to Assam in medieval time
Muslim immigration in medieval time
Muslim invasion and beginning of Muslim settlement
Import of Muslim artisans
Immigration of Muslim groups
Immigration of preachers and conversion
Muslim immigration during colonial period
Colonial policy of Muslim immigration
Line system and Colonisation scheme
Immigration policy and politics of divide and rule
Muslim League politics of immigration
1946 provincial election and Assam Muslims
Local people and Muslim immigrants
Conclusion
Notes
Chapter 2: After independence: Social and political alliance of Muslims
Categorisation of Muslims after independence
Indigenous Muslims
Immigrant or East Bengal origin Muslims
Assamese, Bengali and neo-Assamese Muslims
Emergence of Neo-Assamese Muslims
Neo-Assamese Muslims as a political group
Assamese-Muslim social alliance
Congress-Muslim political alliances
Congress-Muslim alliance and Assam Assembly elections (1951–78)
Assam Assembly elections 1978
Government policy on immigration
Congress politics of immigrant vote bank
Muslim political assertion in Assam
Conclusion
Notes
Chapter 3: The Assam Movement: Muslims as the issue
Assam Movement
Concerns for Muslims
Communalisation of the Assam Movement
Birth of AAMSU and Muslim counter to Assam Movement
Taimur as Assam Chief Minister
Year 1983: unprecedented communal division in Assam
Election 1983
Nellie Massacre
Alienation of Muslims from the Movement
IM(DT) act and Congress politics of vote bank
State’s attempt of communal polarisation
Muslims bounced back
Assam Accord and Muslim opposition
Assam Movement and origin of Muslim consciousness
Conclusion
Notes
Chapter 4: After Assam Movement: Muslim political mobilisation and demographic change
Political mobilisation of Muslims: Formation of UMFA
Breakdown of Muslim vote bank
Breakdown of other immigrant vote banks
Jamiat’s political activism and counter growth of Hindu Nationalism (1991–2001)
Jamiat and formation of AUDF
AIUDF and communal politics in Assam (2005–16)
Muslim vote, Congress and Jamiat
Jamiat’s relevance among Assam Muslims
Assam Muslims: A divided community in elections
Muslim growth and Assam’s demographic change
Socio-economic condition of Muslims and population growth
Illegal immigration
Government policy on immigration
Neglected India-Bangladesh border and illegal immigration
Politics of immigrant vote bank
Conclusion
Note
Chapter 5: The divides: Electoral dominance, citizenship and the idea of ‘Assamese’
Rising population and electoral dominance
Citizenship
D voter
National Register of Citizens (NRC)
Assamese people
Assamese language
Conclusion
Notes
Conclusion: The question of identity among the Assam Muslims
Identity consciousness among neo-Assamese Muslims
Crisis of identity among the Assamese Muslims
Context of a cohesive Muslim identity
Bibliography
Primary Sources
Government Reports and Documents
Pamphlets
Newspapers and Magazines
Secondary Sources
Books and Articles
Index
