By Abdul Gani, TwoCircles.net,
Guwahati: People from various parts of India’s north-eastern states and from other parts of the country held discussions on various issues and problems faced by the minority people during a workshop, ‘Role of Civil Society in maintaining peace and harmony’ held at Shilpagram in Guwahati. The two day programme which came to an end on Saturday also rose up ways to solve the problems.
Several distinguished guests delivered lectured on diversified issues like analysis of communal ideologies – their origin and political objectives; religious tolerance; truth v/s hype about Bangladeshi immigrants; history of communal conflicts in Assam – causes and remedies; role of law enforcement agency in conflicts; syncretic culture in Assam – contribution of Srimanta Sankardev and Azan Fakir; peace building in Assam – challenges and prospects; and PM’s New 15 Point Programme and its status of implementation.
Irfan Engineer
Centre for Study of Society and Secularism (CSSS) director Irfan Engineer who has come all the way from Mumbai to attend the event said that religion does not define any community but a religion. He also analysed on the communal ideologies, their origin and political objectives.
Research scholar Dr Shahinuz Zaman who also delivered a lecture on the inaugural day of the workshop said that making people aware and education is the most important thing at the present scenario for solving the problems related to Bangladeshi immigrants. He also advocated for earliest upgrade of National Register of Citizen (NRC) for getting rid of the problem. Former IAS officer S B Medhi was critical about the role of law enforcement agency during conflict hours.
The various schemes under Prime Minister’s 15 point were also discussed. Retired Assam Civil Service official S N Rahman highlighted the ways through which these schemes can be availed for the welfare of the minority communities.
Another scholar Bhubneswar Deka who is the principal of Bidya Bharati College discussed about the role played by great saints Srimanta Sankardeva and Ajan Fakir several centuries back. The research scholar on the life of Ajan Fakir further said that the need of the hour is to follow the ideals of Ajan Fakir and Sankardeva for peace and harmony.
Besides, senior advocate of Gauhati High Court Moinul Hoque Choudhury who delivered a lecture on the history of communal conflicts in Assam expressed his grief over the ever decreasing area of the state Assam. He said that Assam and the entire region is full of cultural diversity and taking all these, the greater Assam is created.
“But it is very unfortunate that everybody wants their own state. We all — be it the Bodo, Rabha, Dimasa, Mising, Karbi, Muslim and all other communities are the part of the greater Assam and we need to understand that,” Choudhury said.
He also said that it is the Bengali speaking Muslims of the state who have been residing on the riverside (char) areas are the ones who are playing a major role in preserving Assamese language and culture. “It is true because most of the people who are elite and living in the town areas hardly send their kids to Assamese medium schools but the students of char areas go to the Assamese medium schools and study their mother tongue,” he added.
The Centre for Justice, Equity and Rule of Law (CEJAR) who has organized the event is a Guwahati based civil rights organization.