The Identity Quotient

The Story of the Assamese Muslims

Do you know that an annual procession taken out from the Haigrib Madhab temple in Hajo is incomplete without the participation of some local Muslims? And the fact that the ancestors of the Daullah family of Sivasagar town used to play the negera or drum at the Dols or temples during the reign of the Ahom kings? The indigenous Muslims of Assam are different from rest of the community in the country. Over the years, they have assimilated to the greater Assamese society to such an extent that barring religion, there is not much to differentiate them. The study unravels the journey of this community and looks at how they have contributed significantly to the composite heritage of the state. It profiles achievers in various fields and talks about groups like Deshis, Goriyas, Moriyas, Julhas, and also the Bengali-speaking Muslims of Barak Valley. It also mentions the unique cuisine of Assamese Muslims, actors, singers and writers, the National Register of Citizens (NRC), the controversial citizenship bill, besides how this community, of late, has been suffering the ignominy of being bracketed with illegal immigrants as ‘Miya’ by people who do not know much about it or tend to ignore its contribution.