5 communities in Assam recognised as "Indigenous Muslims"
North-eastern Indian state Assam's cabinet yesterday (July 5, 2022) approved five communities of the state as "Indigenous Assamese Muslims" in a move that is expected to bring them social welfare benefits and financial inclusion.
These communities, whose members are nearly four million Muslims in number, are Assamese language-speaking Goria, Moria, Desi, Jolah and Syed.
The decision was taken in line with the recommendation of subgroups/committees constituted by the BJP government in the state to mark the "indigenous" Muslim communities as distinct from Bangla-speaking Muslims who have migrated, reports our New Delhi correspondent.
The cabinet has approved a new nomenclature for five Muslim groups – Goria, Moria, Jolah (only those living in tea gardens of the state), Desi and Syed (only the Assamese-speaking) and they will be known as "indigenous Assamese Muslims", Assam Cabinet Minister Keshab Mahanta told a media briefing in Guwahati yesterday.
"This move will ensure their development in health, cultural identity, education, financial inclusion, skill development and women empowerment," a cabinet note said.
Earlier, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had stated that his government has accepted the definition of indigenous or Assamese Muslim put forward by the subcommittees.
Muslims comprise 34% of the 3.12 crore population of Assam, of which four percent are "indigenous Assamese Muslims" and the remaining are mostly Bangla-speaking Muslims.
The five Muslim communities, whom the cabinet approved as "indigenous Muslims," earlier did not have any official recognition.
The five indigenous Muslim communities trace their origin to the 15th century and the majority of them converted to Islam between 13th and 17th centuries.
Himanta Biswa Sarma had in the past stated that it was necessary to identify those people from Muslim communities who have not migrated to Assam and are original residents of the region.
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