Whose Father’s Property is Assam?

By Prof. Nandita Saikia
Indian Institute of Population Studies, Mumbai

A song known as the “Miya Song” has recently gained attention on social media in Assam. This song, performed by individuals of Bangladeshi origin, raises the provocative question, “Is this land (Assam) your father’s property?” The song suggests that only the Miya community, Bangladeshi-origin Muslims, are blamed for crimes in Assam, while other groups, like temple priests or politicians, are not held accountable. It even threatens that if the Miya community rises, the Assamese people will have to forget their identity. This article addresses the questions and issues raised by the “Miya Song.”

Question: Is Assam Your Father’s Property?
Answer: Yes, Assam is indeed the ancestral property of my forefathers. This land has been handed down to me by my ancestors, who have lived here since time immemorial. Our history is deeply rooted in this soil, and our culture has been preserved by the ever-watchful Mother Kamakhya Devi. It was before Ma Kamakhya that Veer Lachit swore to defeat the Mughals and did so. I am the rightful heir of the entire Kamrup from the days of the Mahabharata, when Kamdev was reborn here. The Brahmaputra River is the descendant of Rishi Shantanu and Amogha, and I have inherited it through my lineage. The capitals of Kamrup—Kampeeth, Ratnapith, Soumarpeeth, and Suwarnapith, known as Pragjyotishpur—are the property of my ancestors. From the time of Mahabharata, Hidimba Devi and Ghatotkacha Veer of Dima Hasao have written that this land belongs to us.

This land has been passed down to me from the heroic King Narakasura and Bhagadatta of the Mahabharata. I inherited Assam from my forefathers, the Mahiranga, Emperor Bhaskaravarma, and the heroic Prithu. This land is the land of Rukmini, the wife of Lord Krishna, Bhanumati, the wife of Duryodhana, and Usha, the wife of Aniruddha. This land has been shaped by figures like Srimanata Shankaradeva, Sri Sri Madhavadeva, sri Damodaradeva, Sri Harideva, Lakshminath Bezbaruah, Jyoti Prasad Agarwala, and Bhupen.
The Bardowa Thaan of Nagaon, the Barpeta Thaan, and the celebration of Holi are properties handed down to me by my father. The sacred places like Dhubuni Ghat in Dhubri’s Netai, the Surya Pahar in Goalpara, the Narakasur Hill, Bhubaneswari Hill, and Nilachal Hill in Guwahati, and Kesaikhaiti Gosain in Sadiya, all these have been passed down to me by my ancestors with great sacrifices. The Bihu dance and Bihu songs, the mekhla chador, gamusa, muga silk, and other traditional attire—all of these are my father’s property. The naamghar (prayer halls), satras (monastic institutions), bhaona (religious plays), borgeet, ban geet, sattriya dance, pal naam, and thiya naam, all of which make Assam unique in the world, are my father’s property.
The Shiva deul (Shiva temple) , Jay deul (Jaymati temple)—these are the properties of my Swargadeo (Ahom heavenly king). Whoever came from abroad also embraced the religion and language of this holy land. The sour fish curry, kharoli, khoricha, kahudi, lai shak, til pitha, ghila pitha—all these are my father’s property. Everything that identifies Assam as a unique states of the country or as a unique culture, is inherited from our forefathers.

Question: Why Are Only the Miya Blamed When Temple Priests Also Commit Crimes?
Answer: Yes, crimes committed by priests or ministers are condemned, and we demand justice for such acts. However, these incidents are rare compared to the daily crime statistics in Assam, where Miya individuals often feature prominently. Every indigenous woman feels the organised crime done by Miya individuals to them. Even your leader, Badruddin Ajmal, Even your leader Badruddin Ajmal admitted that “In crimes like theft, robbery, rape, and looting, we are number one. We are also number one in going to jail. Our boys and girls don’t have time for school or college, but they have plenty of time for gambling and cheating others. Who is involved in all these wrongdoings? It is the Muslims. And that is sad.” Ajmal said this at a private college in the Goalpara district. Look at the jail statistics. Read the newspapers daily, and you will know who commits the most crimes in Assam.Instead of addressing these issues, there is a tendency to deflect blame and continue harmful activities against the indigenous people of Assam.

Our question: What property of your father have you brought that increases the glory of Assam or Assamese culture?
You stepped onto this land only 110 years ago. While you claim to have strengthened the economy, Assam was already a prosperous land before your arrival. Assam was already a land of wealth and prosperity, with fertile land, cattle in the barns, fish in the ponds, and betel nut and betel leaves in the gardens. Women were weaving clothes throughout the year in sustainable ways. Women with pride could wear a single piece of cloth and fearlessly for fishing in the rivers and bathe in the streams. Even today, in places where you are not present, women can walk from one mountain to another even at night without fear. But where you are present, there is fear even in broad daylight.
Did the people of this land not eat, drink, dance, sing, or celebrate festivals 110 years ago? The history and inheritance of this land are thousands of years old. Why do you encroach the lands of indigenous people, steal cattle from our poor farmers, and mistreat our daughters? Why do you commit so many wrongdoings? Why don’t you acknowledge your faults? Why are you trying to replace the culture of this holy land with the culture of the desert, both day and night?
You refer to yourselves as a “minority” when seeking government benefits, but act as a “majority” when threatening the Assamese people. When you threaten the Assamese, you say a crore lions are sleeping. You first came as landless poor from East Bengal as laborers for the British rulers, and even after independence, you continued coming because of your poverty. This land has given you education, jobs, and opportunities, but you still deny to embrace its culture and people. It’s time to show some gratitude and respect for the land that has provided for you.

Finally, to your threat, “When the Miya will be awaken, you will forget your name,”

Here is the answer: Do not sweetly softly sing songs to threaten the Assamese. The Assamese people are always ready to defend their land and culture, even by sacrificing their lives. Do you want to repeat history with the Mughals? We are the descendants of Maharaj Prithu (Bakhtiyar Khilji), Lachit Borphukan, and Mulagabharu. And please remember, in case, there is a the day the indigenous people of Assam are wiped out, you will fight among yourselves and diem just like those dieying and running away from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Syria, or Iran.
As Bhupen Hazarika said, “আকৌ যদি যাব লাগে শৰাইঘাটলৈ, লুইত পাৰৰ ডেকা বন্ধু কোনো নাথাকিবা ৰৈ!” – meaning “If we have to go again to the battle of Saraighat (between Assamese and Mughals), then no young men from the bank of Luit should wait, instead stand and fight!”

Assam is and always will be the land of those who protect its rich heritage, culture, language, identity and eternal traditions.