Guwahati, Aug 28: The All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), led by Badruddin Ajmal, has called for a 10% reservation for Muslims in Assam, citing the community’s economic and social challenges. On Tuesday, AIUDF MLA Aminul Islam emphasized the party’s demand, arguing that the Muslim community in the state is both backward and economically weaker, necessitating affirmative action in government jobs and schemes.
“Muslims in Assam are a backward and economically weaker section,” said Aminul Islam. “We are demanding a 10% reservation for Muslims in government jobs and other government schemes in the state,” he added, stressing the importance of such measures to uplift the community.
Islam also challenged the figures provided by Assam’s Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma regarding the state’s Muslim population. He pointed out that while the Muslim population has grown, the Chief Minister’s data does not accurately reflect this increase. According to Islam, “Muslims were the majority in some districts of Assam since independence. However, these districts were later divided, and new districts were formed. According to the 2011 Census, the Muslim population in Assam was 34%, which may have increased by 2-3%. But the figure given by the Chief Minister is not true.”
The AIUDF’s demand for reservation comes amid ongoing debates over the representation and rights of minority communities in Assam. The party’s call for a 10% quota is seen as an effort to address the socio-economic disparities faced by the Muslim community in the state.
