‘Will Fight Till the Last Drop of Blood’: Assam CM Himanta Biswa Slams Syeda Hameed on ‘Bangladeshi’ Remark

New Delhi: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, on August 25, condemned activist Syeda Saiyidain Hameed, after her controversial remarks about Bangladeshi immigrants, claiming that his state would resist illegal infiltration "till the last drop of our blood."

“People Like Her Legitimise Infiltrators” 

Following comments made by Hameed, a close friend of the Gandhi family and a former member of the Planning Commission, on a recent visit to Assam that indicated Bangladeshis had a right to live in the state, the chief minister responded angrily."People like Syeda Hameed, a close confidant of the Gandhi family legitimise illegal infiltrators, as they seek to realise Jinnah's dream of making Assam a part of Pakistan," Sarma wrote on Twitter. "Today, Assamese identity is on the brink of extinction because of the tacit support of people like her."   

Hameed's remarks made during an assessment visit to gauge the state of affairs pertaining to citizenship, evictions, and the treatment of Muslims in Assam are at the heart of the controversy. "What is wrong if they are Bangladeshis? Bangladeshis are also humans. She said, "Allah has made this earth for humans, not for devils," and that Bangladeshis may live here because the planet is so big.

Sarma's answer cited the past resistance of Assam, citing Ahom general Lachit Barphukan from the 17th century. "We are the sons and daughters of Lachit Barphukan, WE WILL FIGHT till the last drop of our blood to save our State and our identity," he said.

“Bangladeshis Are Not Welcome”

"Let me make it very clear, Bangladeshis are not welcome in Assam, it is not their land," the chief minister said, highlighting his stance on illegal immigration. Anyone sympathising with them may accommodate them in their own backyards. Assam is not up for grabs by illegal infiltrators, NOT NOW, NOT EVER."

Along with former Rajya Sabha MP Jawahar Sircar, activist Harsh Mander, and lawyer Prashant Bhushan, Hameed traveled to Assam as a member of a high-profile group. The group asserted that Indian Muslims were being forcibly removed from the state and accused the Assam administration of targeting Muslims by calling them Bangladeshis.

The state government, according to Bhushan, was "engaged in unlawful and illegal activities, including pushing out Indian citizens to Bangladesh, evicting people from their land, and demolishing homes."

Asom Nagarik Sanmilan, a local civil society forum, organized the delegation's visit; however, they reported limited access to Goalpara district, where there have apparently been evictions from forest territory.

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