'Writing Bengali in electoral rolls will only expose foreigners': CM on ABMSU row

Guwahati, July 10: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, on Thursday, reacted sharply to a remark made by a student leader of the All BTC Minority Students’ Union (ABMSU), warning that replacing Assamese with Bengali in electoral rolls would only help quantify the number of "foreigners" in the state.

“Language cannot be used as a tool for blackmail. In Assam, Assamese is permanent — both as the state and official language. However, if they write Bengali in electoral rolls, it will only quantify the number of foreigners in the state,” the Chief Minister said.

Sarma’s statement came in response to a comment made by ABMSU member Mainuddin Ali during a protest in Bedlangmari, Kokrajhar, on July 9.

Ali had reportedly said that Bengali-speaking Muslims would now choose to write Bengali — not Assamese — in public declarations, claiming that Assamese would no longer remain a majority language.

The statement, made during protests against eviction drives on allegedly encroached government land, has drawn widespread condemnation for allegedly stoking linguistic and communal divisions in an already sensitive political climate.

All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) President Utpal Sharma also lashed out at the remark, calling it a deliberate provocation.

“In such a situation, when someone says they will no longer write Assamese as their mother tongue, it’s nothing but provocation and blackmail,” Sharma said.

He further warned that Assam is facing a deeper threat. “The uncontrolled population growth among illegal settlers is the real crisis. Several districts are already slipping beyond the influence of indigenous communities. We must act together — firmly and swiftly — to ensure our future isn’t lost.”

Condemnation also came from the Tai Ahom Yuba Parishad Assam (TAYPA). Its member Gunakanta Gogoi questioned the role of ABMSU in the state’s affairs.

“The ABMSU has never made any meaningful contribution to Assam. Time and again, they speak and act against the interests of the state and its people. If they cannot stand with the Assamese people while living here, they are free to leave and settle elsewhere,” Gogoi said.

Facing mounting backlash, ABMSU’s central leadership has sought to defuse the situation by distancing itself from Ali’s statement.

ABMSU President Taison Hussain clarified that the comments do not reflect the organisation’s official stance.

“We were holding demonstrations in the BTR against inhumane eviction drives when Mainuddin Ali made these comments. His statement does not represent ABMSU’s views,” Hussain said.

Hussain clarified that official statements of the organisation are issued only through the general secretary or the president, not individual members.

He added that the matter was being reviewed internally and reiterated that ABMSU has never stood against the Assamese language.

The controversy comes amid ongoing eviction drives and adds a fresh layer of tension to Assam’s long-standing debates over land, identity, language, and citizenship.