ABDURRAHMAN AMAN
GUWAHATI, APRIL 28
Several FIRs have been lodged against Rupa Rani Bhuyan, a professor of English literature at Magaldai College in Darrang district of Assam, on allegations of hate-mongering. The professor in her Facebook post on April 21 gave communal colour to the late Syed Abdul Malik’s famous poem ‘Moi Axomiya’(I am Assamese).
Malik has been one of the tallest literary figures of Assam having been decorated with Padmashri, Padma Bhushan, Sahitya Akademi Award, Sankar Dev Award, Sahityacharrya etc. Assamese people remember him for his book “Dhany Nara Tanu Bhal” – a biography of Assam Vaishanava saint, Sankardev.
Though the professor deleted the objectionable post from her Facebook after criticism against her, the damage has been done as it resulted into a series of posts on social media describing Malik as “fundamentalist, Jihadi and a traitor”.
Uploading screenshot of a few stanzas of the poem in social media, the Professor asked in Assamese, “Who can explain the glorification of the Mughals in this poem of Syed Abdul Malik Sir?” The stanza of the poem where narrator speaks in the voice of invading Mughals, have been quoted selectively and deliberately to misinterpret it.
Extending support to Professor Rupa Rani, one Bitupan Kalita writes, “Here, who is glorified by whom? Unfortunately, this poem of a ‘fundamentalist, Jihadi and traitor’ are being taught in classrooms.”
The professor also made derogatory comment against Bagh Hazarika, another historical figure of Assam from the Muslim Community, who fought against invading Mughal Army bravely under Ahom commander-in-Chief Lachit Barphukan.
Several FIRs have been filed against the professor and others involved in vilification of the late Syed Abdul Malik. One of the FIRs has been lodged by the Sadou Asom Goriya Moriya Deshi Jatiya Parishad at Hatigaon Police Station in Guwahati.
Two other FIRS have been lodged by AMSU (All Assam Minority Students’ Union) in Bongaigaon and Golaghat. The AMSU complaint said, “She uploaded only a part of the poem to defame Malik and lower his dignity in public esteem as well as to promote enmity between different religious group”.
On the other hand, the Jorhat unit of All Assam Students Union (AASU), Jagannath Barooah College (JB College) AASU unit and the students’ body of JB college have demanded legal action against all those who are spreading communal hatred in the society.
It is to be mentioned that Syed Abdul Malik taught at JB college in Jorhat. Jorhat unit of AASU along with JB college unit of AASU and Students’ union of the college submitted a memorandum to the Jorhat Superintendent of police on April 22 demanding investigation into the matter and immediate action against the hate-mongers.
A statement issued by the Jorhat district AASU assistant general secretary Bijoy Shankar Bordoloi said, “An unscrupulous person is trying to spread communal hatred by misinterpreting a few stanzas of the famous poem “Moi Axomiya” composed by Syed Abdul Malik, by uploading only a few lines of the poem on social media.”
Syed Abdul Malik is one of the greatest literary figures of Assamese literature, the statement said. The statement demanded strong legal action against the persons involved in the disgraceful act.
Tweeting on the issue, the Assam Sahitya Sabha (ASS) president Kuladhar Saikia and former Assam DGP said, “The controversial comment in social media on one of Syed Abdul Malik’s poems is condemnable”. Saikia also said that nobody should ever neglect the priceless contribution made by Syed Abdul Malik in establishing the Assamese identity. Former ASS president Parmananda Rajbangshi and other litterateurs also condemned the malicious act of defaming one of the greatest literary figures of Assam.
Another literary figure-Hafiz Ahmed along with a group of youth poets from minority community-were also maligned on social media few months back only for writing poems on sufferings of Muslims in name of D-voter and NRC updating in Assam. More than four FIRs were lodged against them at various police stations of the state. The English translation of the poem was published in Al-Jazeera and the New York Times, which was originally written in ‘Myan language’—spoken language of East Bengal-origin Muslim community of Assam. They were blamed for allegedly defaming Assamese nationality.
Despite all these things, the Assam police have not taken any action against the professor and those who approved of her post on the social media and were involved in hate campaign against the Muslims.
Even BJP MLAs like Shiladitya Dev and Dr. Nomal Momin have openly been spreading hatred against Muslims and Islam. Shiladitya Dev openly incited security forces to gun down Muslims if they gather for Eid prayers. But no action has been taken by the police against any of them so far.
Even in the last assembly elections, senior BJP leader and Assam health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma appealed the voters of the state to defeat “the Mughals”, describing the assembly elections as the last battle of Saraighat and giving assembly elections a communal colour. Ahom force under Lachit Barphukan defeated invading Mughal force led by Ram Singh at the battle field of Saraighat, near Guwahati in 1671. However, the battle of Saraighat was not fought between Muslims and Hindus because the Ahom force was also consisted of Muslims and the Mughal Army also had Hindu soldiers among it.
(Abdurrahman Aman is indiatomorrow.net correspondent)
