Assam's demography changed during Cong rule, Modi trying to reverse trend: Amit Shah

Claiming that the demography of Assam changed during Congress rule, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said the BJP-led government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi is working to reverse the trend. The Union home minister also stressed the role played by the Mising community in stopping infiltrators from settling in Upper Assam through their lifestyle of hard work.

Claiming that the demography of Assam changed during Congress rule, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said the BJP-led government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi is working to reverse the trend. Addressing the closing ceremony of the 10th Mising Youth Festival organised by Takam Mising Porin Kebang (All Mising Students' Union) at Kareng Chapori here as the chief guest, Shah appealed to people to vote for the BJP in the upcoming Assembly elections to free the state from infiltration. ''Assam's demography totally changed during the Congress rule. The population of infiltrators rose to 64 lakh from nil, and infiltrators became a majority in seven districts,'' he alleged. Shah asserted that the Modi government was working through various means to reverse the demographic trend in the state. ''If you want to stop infiltration in Assam, then elect the BJP government for a third term and strengthen the hands of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in the fight against illegal immigrants. Two BJP state governments in Assam have freed 1.26 lakh acres of land from encroachment by infiltrators,'' he added. The Union home minister also stressed the role played by the Mising community in stopping infiltrators from settling in Upper Assam through their lifestyle of hard work. ''It's the responsibility of the Mising community to stop infiltration. You do not need to take up guns. Through your culture of hard work, infiltrators have not been able to come to this side,'' he said. Talking about the Bogibeel bridge over Brahmaputra river connecting Dibrugarh and Dhemaji, Shah said it stands as a symbol of India's progress before the entire world. ''However, very few people in India know that the Bogibeel Bridge was built through the hard work and sweat of my brothers and sisters from the Mising community. Today, this bridge has become a powerful representation of the vision of a New India, both across the nation and globally,'' he added. The Union home minister further said that Rajya Sabha MP from Assam, Manmohan Singh had served as Prime Minister for 10 years, but this bridge remained incomplete. ''The people of Assam placed their trust in Modi Ji, and it was under his leadership that this bridge was completed in just four years,'' he added. Shah further challenged the Congress to tell the people of Assam what it did during the 10 years of government at the Centre. ''As a PM for 10 years from Assam, what has Manmohan Singh given to Assam? Let me tell you. He gave Rs 1.28 lakh crore to Assam in 10 years, while Modi gave Rs 5.85 crore to the state,'' he added. The Union home minister alleged that in 55 years of their government since Independence, the Congress never made an Adivasi the country's President. ''But Modi made Droupadi Murmu India's President and gave respect to all Adivasi people of the country. From 2004 to 2014, the Congress government gave Rs 28,000 crore to the ST component. Modi gave Rs 1.35 lakh crore for tribal development,'' he claimed. Shah also alleged that several tribal communities struggled to protect their identity during the Congress regime, while asserting that the BJP was committed to addressing the issues of the Mising society through an interlocutor appointed by the Centre. He lauded the unique 'chang ghar' or stilt house of the community, saying its architectural design in a way gives way to river during the flood, thereby silently fighting the global warming. The Union minister also said that the government has plans to stop flooding in Assam and decided to create big ponds for this. He announced that a special requirement drive will be conducted for Mising youths for the central paramilitary forces. ''If I had not attended the Mising Youth Festival, my life would have felt incomplete without witnessing this truly magnificent spectacle. Today, I bow with deep respect to the sacred 'Donyi-Polo' tradition, which embodies nature worship and the faith of our Mising community,'' he added. Shah said that the worship of the Sun and the Moon connects deeply with nature as rivers, mountains and trees form the very foundation of human life. ''The 'Donyi-Polo' tradition is not limited to Assam and Arunachal Pradesh alone; it holds a distinct identity across India and even the world, as it is rooted in the reverence of nature and the divine,'' he added. Criticising the Congress, Shah said many leaders of the opposition party say that talking about India's culture somehow means belittling others. ''They fail to understand that just as the Mising community has its own culture, India too has a culture -- one that is enriched by the coming together of many diverse traditions. Modi Ji and the BJP government believe that every culture, language and tradition in India has the same right to thrive and endure just like everyone else,'' he added. The Assam government has decided to impart education in 200 lower primary schools in Mising language. This is a welcome step in the direction of protecting the language, Shah said. ''Due to our consistent efforts and many peace accords, more than 10,000 youths have left guns and joined Assam's development journey. Industries, airports, universities, hospitals and other infrastructure are coming up in a big way,'' he added.

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