As the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) unveiled its 31-point manifesto for the April 9 assembly elections, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma promised on Tuesday to more strictly enforce the Immigrants (Expulsion From Assam) Act, 1950 in order to expel Bangladeshi Miyas—Bengali-speaking Muslims deemed “outsiders.” The government has been using the 1950 law to “push back” people who are considered illegal residents to Bangladesh since last year. This law permits district authorities to remove undocumented foreigners within 24 hours, avoiding foreign tribunals.
Speaking at the manifesto launch, Sarma stressed that if the BJP were to be re-elected, the strict enforcement of this law would be their top priority. In particular, he pledged to drive Miyas off any government property they were said to have invaded.
The announcement coincides with increased linguistic and ethnic tensions in Assam, where the native Assamese population has long voiced worries about alleged dangers to their land, language, and culture. The British declared Bengali to be the official language in 1836, which sparked protests that led to the policy’s repeal in 1873. This was the beginning of historical grievances. Anti-outsider sentiments were further heightened during the post-partition era and the linguistic reorganization of states in the 1970s. This culminated in the six-year agitation of the 1980s, which ended with the Assam Accord in 1985.
The BJP manifesto also calls for the implementation of a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in Assam, but it would not apply to areas covered by the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, which gives scheduled tribes autonomy and self-governance.