Minority student body plans Eid, June 11 protests over ‘targeting’ of Muslims

Guwahati, June 1: The North East Minorities Students Union (NEMSU), on Sunday, announced plans to organise two protests in Assam, condemning what it described as the government’s ongoing targeting and persecution of Indian Muslims.

NEMSU president Badrul Islam said the first demonstration would take place on Eid (June 7) at multiple Eid-gahs across the state, followed by a massive statewide protest on June 11.

“About one crore members of the Muslim community are expected to participate in the June 11 statewide protest against the recent atrocities faced by the community,” he told the press.

Islam added that the decision to hold these demonstrations was made during a meeting of various minority organisations on Saturday.

“We oppose illegal infiltration from Bangladesh, but we cannot support the persecution of Indian citizens in the name of fighting infiltration. In the meeting, we resolved to hold democratic protests across the state on June 11 to safeguard the rights and security of Indian Muslims,” Islam added

Islam criticised the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, accusing it of neglecting pressing civic issues such as inflation, water-logging, and flooding, while allegedly focusing on “communal politics” to further its political interests.

“The BJP government has failed to address core concerns like price rise, flood control, or waterlogging. Instead, it has continuously targeted the Muslim community, branding them as ‘Miyas’, treating them like second-class citizens, and launching crackdowns on the basis of religion,” he said.

He also demanded that all Indian citizens who were mistakenly deported to Bangladesh on suspicions of being illegal immigrants be brought back and rehabilitated.

“Those arrested or pushed back across the border without legal process must be brought home. These are not criminals. They are citizens of India and should not be handcuffed or thrown out of their own country,” he said.

The protests come in the backdrop of the state government’s decision to adopt a “pushback” policy against illegal infiltrators sans any legal process, as announced by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in May.

The policy has drawn sharp criticism from opposition leaders, particularly from AIUDF. South Salmara-Mankachar legislator, Aminul Islam, had recently submitted a memorandum to the Governor, urging the adoption of a legal and humanitarian approach.

As Assam braces for dual protests—on Eid and again on June 11—minority groups have called for dialogue and a rights-based approach, warning against what they see as a growing atmosphere of mistrust and exclusion.