Guwahati: Any mention of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) being updated in Assam to detect foreigners angers Mozibur Rahman, a retired primary school teacher in Dhubri district.
So much so that Deshi Janagosthiyo Mancha, of which Rahman is one of 20-lakh members, has demanded OBC (other backward class) status to protect their identity at a convention in Boko in Kamrup district held over the weekend. It discussed the "identity crisis" that might arise over the NRC update.
"Our unique identity, language and culture will be in jeopardy. We will be clubbed together for being Muslims. Hence, we demand that there should be a proper survey of the Deshi Muslims and we should be accorded OBC category to protect our identity," the general secretary of the Mancha, an umbrella body of indigenous Muslims, Kibriya Siddique, told The Telegraph on Sunday.
The Mancha has claimed that Deshis are people from indigenous communities such as Koch, Rabha, Mech, Garo, Nath, Yogi and Kalita who embraced Islam following the footsteps of Ali Mech - considered the founding father of the community -who converted to Islam in 1205 AD.
They are now settled in Goalpara, Dhubri, Kokrajhar, Kamrup, South Salmara-Mankachar and Kamrup (metro) districts in western Assam. "As Deshis are also suspected Bangladeshis, our areas have remained neglected and hence focused development schemes should be taken up by the government after a proper survey of the community," he said.
"We are sons of the soil and let the government check whatever documents it wants to," Rahman said, stating that he had submitted land documents of 1939 for inclusion of his family members in the NRC.
Rahman claimed that their forefathers were Koch Rajbongshis in the erstwhile Goalpara district but later converted to Islam.
The part draft of the NRC 1951, comprising 1.9 crore of the total 3.29 crore applicants, was released on the midnight of December 31.
More than 40 lakh indigenous Muslims such as Goriya-Moriya, Poimal and a few others also demanded inclusion in the NRC as original inhabitants.
