Himanta At It Again: Assam CM's 'Infiltrator' Speeches Get Shriller in Jharkhand

Sarma is trying hard to convince the public in Jharkhand that Hindu population "khatre mein hain." But is it so?

Assam CM has now made many communal speeches in Jharkhand ahead of the state elections.

(Photo: Aroop Mishra/The Quint)

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's tenure has seen him making many communal speeches, but this time he has chosen a different region.

Ahead of elections in Jharkhand, Sarma who is also the BJP's election co-in-charge in the state has been pushing the narrative that Muslim population is overshadowing the local tribals as Hemant Soren-led state government is supporting the 'intruders' in the state.

This is not new. The same narrative has also been pushed by Union Minister Amit Shah and other party members such as Nishikant Dubey, BJP MP from Godda, Jharkhand who claimed that 11% of the Muslim population in the state consisted of "Bangladeshi infiltrators."

In particular, both of them targeted Santhal Pargana region, a tribal belt, claiming that the tribal population is decreasing and the Muslim population is rising and calling it "simple mathematics."

Sarma also claimed that Aadhar cards were being provided to 'infiltrators' through madrassas in Jharkhand.

"Kone Kone mein Babar basey hai, ye logon ko laat maar kar nikaalne ka samay aa chuka hai," (In each corner, Baburs are still living, time has come to kick them out). These were Sarma's words when he addressed a rally in Jamshedpur on 24 October.

The 'Infiltrator' Bogey

But there's a catch, an ironical part if you may, that when this issue found its way to the Jharkhand High Court, it turned out to be different.

The court case concerning the demography issue in Jharkhand.

(Photo: Aroop Mishra/The Quint)

Union government's response to a 2022 PIL filed by a BJP worker in Jharkhand stated that "infiltration is accessed to have taken place" but also added that “Quantum of decrease in tribal population due to outward migration, low child-birth rate among tribal, conversion to Christianity and other reasons needs also [sic] to be assessed.”

Besides, Santhal Pargana, a Jharkhand Mukti Morcha bastion – has a mixed population of tribals, Christians and Muslims.

MHA also supported population data on STs submitted by some of the petitioners, saying that data from the Office of the Registrar General of India showed that the share of STs in Santhal Pargana’s population was 44.67% in 1951 and 28.11% in 2011.

In fact, Deputy Commissioners of the six Santhal Pargana districts – Pakur, Sahibganj, Dumka, Godda, Deoghhar and Jamtara, in their affidavits filed earlier in the case had declared that no Bangladeshi intrusion has taken place in their districts, as per this report.

Himanta Biswa Sarma in one of his election campaigns in Palamu, Jharkhand.

(Photo: Himanta Biswa Sarma/X)

But here is what Sarma's campaigning have looked like so far:

First on 23 October, Sarma in Palamu said, "What name is Hussainabad? We have Ram and Krishna Janmabhoomi next door, so where did Hussain come from? Jharkhand is the land of warriors, it will be named after them and not just anyone who doesn't have link to the land..." and then added that they will bring NRC in the state and throw out "infiltrators."

On 28 October, the Assam CM in Jamtara said, "The infiltrators are causing a huge disturbance in Jharkhand's culture and 'Adivasi asmita.' If this continues, Jharkhand will see a demographic change and it will become a mini-Bangladesh. Sanathal Pargana is in line to become mini-Bangladesh."

Snippets from one of his speeches in Jamtara, Jharkhand.

(Photo: Aroop Mishra/The Quint)

Snippets from one of his speeches in Sarath, Jharkhand.

(Photo: Aroop Mishra/The Quint)

And then on 2 November, he said, "If what is happening in Jharkhand continues, in the future the population of Hindus will become 50% and that of infiltrators will become around 50%. That is why it is necessary to drive out the infiltrators."

He also repeatedly attacked Congress leaders Alamgir Alam and Irfan Ansari, stating that the saffron party would drive them away for allegedly plundering Jharkhand, just like it ousted Babar from Ayodhya.

Complaints Filed but No Action Against Himanta Yet?

It must be noted that as per the last 2011 census, Hindus form 67.83% of the state's population.

INDIA bloc has filed a complaint against Sarma for his communal speechesin Jharkhand.

(Photo: Aroop Mishra/The Quint)

As Jharkhand has 14.53% Muslims who if combined with 26.21% Scheduled Tribes form about 41% of the electorate. The BJP is trying to politically drive a rift between these two social groups.

Interestingly, JMM-led government is not primarily responsible if there is an alleged infiltration as the international boundary with Bangladesh is guarded by MHA-controlled Border Security Force, headed by Shah.

Now, the Opposition INDIA bloc has submitted to the Election Commission of India and the state’s chief electoral officer by the Rashtriya Janata Dal, the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist), the Congress and the JMM, said that Himanta Sarma “targeted” Muslims at a public meeting and programme in Sarath on 1 November.

What the complaint letter filed by INDIA bloc states.

(Photo: Aroop Mishra/The Quint)

Loktantra Bachao Abhiyan too, has filed three complaints against Sarma's speeches and have called for investigation into them, stating that they are fanning anti-Muslim sentiments and are antithesis to a democratic electoral process.

The same rights group has also filed complaints accusing BJP of spreading hate in Jharkhand elections through shadow accounts on social media.

After the complaint was filed against him, Sarma stated that that JMM is speaking in "favour of infiltrators" and called for cancelling the party's registration.