Assam Assembly has taken the decision on Friday to discontinue the 87-year-old tradition of giving two-hour break for Friday prayers to Muslim legislators
Team Clarion
GUWAHATI – Assam Chief Minister Hemant Biswa Sarma is facing severe criticism from opposition parties and civil rights groups for his recent communal and anti-Muslim actions and statements.
Sarma, who has been positioning himself as a prominent figure of Hindutva, on Friday scrapped the 87-year-old tradition of giving two-hour break in the Assam Assembly to Muslim legislators to offer prayers.
Sarma proudly announced the cancellation of the prayer break, describing the move as a “historic decision” and thanked the Speaker of the Assembly and party colleagues for their support. He justified the decision by arguing that since India’s constitution is secular, the governmentshould also operate on secular principles, without accommodating any religious practices.
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Sarma’s actions have raised alarm, especially among Assam’s Muslim community and secular organisations. The cancellation of the Friday prayer break is seen as the latest in a series of steps targeting Muslim practices. Just a day before Sharma had unilaterally passed a bill in the Assembly aimed at regulating Muslim marriage and divorce laws, a move that many see as unwarranted interference in Muslim religious matters.
Assam CM claimed that the new law would help curb child marriage and ensure the official registration of marriages and divorces, thereby addressing various socio-legal issues in the state. However, critics argue that these actions are part of a broader agenda to marginalise Muslims and undermine their religious and cultural practices.
Bhupin Kumar Bora, President of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee, has reiterated his demand for Sharma’s arrest, accusing the Chief Minister of inciting communal hatred and destabslizing the state. Bora criticised Sarma for using communal rhetoric to polarise the population and accused him of crossing all constitutional and legal boundaries.
“Sarma has become so obsessed with anti-uslim sentiment that he has completely abandoned political civility and is dangerously stoking communal tensions,” Bora said. He also highlighted an FIR lodged against Sarma, which mentions his aggressive and divisive conduct. Bora warned that if Sarma is not restrained, his actions could ignite widespread communal violence across Assam.
Sarma’s recent actions are not isolated incidents but part of a broader pattern of communal politics that has increasingly defined his tenure as Chief Minister. By targeting Muslim practices and enacting laws perceived as discriminatory, Sharma is accused of deepening religious divisions in Assam, a state with a significant Muslim population.
The cancellation of the Friday prayer break, in particular, has drawn sharp criticism from various quarters, including legal experts and civil society organisations, who argue that it violates the principles of religious freedom and secularism enshrined in the Indian Constitution. The decision is seen as part of a systematic effort to erode the rights and identity of Assam’s Muslim community.
As tensions rise, the future of communal harmony in Assam remains uncertain. Hemant Biswa Sarma’s actions have undoubtedly escalated the situation, leading to fears of further polarisation and unrest in the state. With opposition parties calling for his arrest and widespread condemnation of his policies, it remains to be seen how the political landscape in Assam will evolve in the coming months. The challenge for the state will be to navigate these divisive issues while maintaining peace and upholding the principles of secularism and justice.
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