Asom Muslim incited to oppose Vande Mataram

Guwahati, Sep 1(UNI) Muslims of Asom led by Asom United Democratic Front (AUDF), a Muslim fundamentalist party, are opposing Vande Mataram.

The politics of Vande Mataram entered Asom, where Muslim population is nearly 37 per cent and at least seven districts are fully dominated by the immigrant Muslims.

AUDF President Badaruddin Ajmal and Vice-President H R A Chouhdury, who have been touring in Muslim dominated Barak valley, told media there that they would oppose tooth and nail any forced imposition of Vande Mataram, which they visualise as a forcible import by the BJP on the people of India.

''Patriotism cant be imposed. It has to come from within,'' Mr Ajmal said.

The AUDF, which has been completely sidelined in the Asom politics, despite having an impressive performance in the last election was trying to claw back to the centrestage as the main saviour of the immigrant Muslims, which have played a major role in Asom politics.

The 'Vande Mataram' controversy has given them a perfect platform to be more aggressive in the Assamese society where radical elements of both Hindu and Muslim have never been given importance.

Meanwhile, the AUDF has got a shot in the arm as the AASU has raised its voice against the illegal immigration and in fact yesterday they had massive demonstration in front of the Kazriranga National Park. This only helps their cause of uniting the minority community around them.

''There are crores of Bangladeshis in Asom. They could not protect the state and now we are fighting to save even the Kaziranga national park'' said AASU adviser Dr Samujjal Kr Bhattacharya.

''But we want every illegal immigrants from Bangladesh to return and at the same time the genuine Indian citizens must not be harassed'' said the AUDF leader H R A Choudhury, considered the moderate amongst the hawks of the AUDF.

UNI MT BA AKP1209