Guwahati, Jan 29 (PTI) Noting that the government cannot stop the ‘Miyas’ coming before 1951 from working in Assam, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said he has instructed all PWD contractors to engage at least 50 per cent indigenous youths in future projects.
He also claimed that “Bangladeshi Miyas” have started coming in the last 20-30 years after seeing the developmental works in Assam and other areas.
‘Miya’ is originally a pejorative term used for Bengali-speaking Muslims in Assam. In recent years, activists from the community have started adopting this term as a gesture of defiance.
“If any Miya came before 1951, we cannot stop him from working here. We are also logical people. But in the last 20-30 years, Miyas have been trying to enter Assam after seeing developmental works here. If we stop them, they enter from Kolkata and Bengal,” Sarma told reporters here.
If the people and government can protect the economy, the ‘Miyas’ do not get any chance here, he asserted.
“Two months ago, I had a meeting with PWD contractors. They used to bring Bangladeshi youths from Malda, Siliguri and Jalpaiguri (in West Bengal) to engage them here as labourers. I told them that we have youths in tea gardens, adivasi people and indigenous Assamese community. A change in mentality is needed,” Sarma said.
He was interacting with journalists after reviewing the progress of Guwahati-North Guwahati bridge over Brahmaputra, scheduled to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 14.
“All the technical work in this bridge has been done by only Assamese youths, but there may be others in labour work. Slowly, our youths will learn. I have already told PWD contractors that 50 per cent of the labourers should be from indigenous people from next projects,” the CM said.
He said people had a concept that if Bangladeshi workers do not work, big-ticket construction projects cannot be implemented.
“In this big bridge, many local youths have worked. We will have to bring in Assamese youths towards work culture. In Bogibeel bridge (on Brahmaputra in Dibrugarh), 100 per cent workers were from the Mising community. In between, the atmosphere changed. However, we are trying to change that mentality slowly,” Sarma said on Wednesday.
Citing examples, he said that presently, many Assamese youths are working at the upcoming Jagiroad Semiconductor plant in Morigaon district.
“Even our drivers are not Assamese people… Along with infrastructure, I have a dream to strengthen the Assamese community’s economic backbone,” said Sarma.
He further said that the Bharalumukh flyover in Guwahati will be inaugurated within the next 10 days, while the Chandmari-Noonmati flyover will be opened by February-end.
“These two will be unveiled by me. Two more big flyover works are going on at Jorhat and Diphu. These two will also be completed by February end,” Sarma said on Wednesday. PTI TR TR NN
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