Silchar: A young Muslim mechanical engineer from Assam has alleged that his job offer was withdrawn after he revealed his religion during a recruitment process.
Shamim Barbhuiya, from Silchar, applied through a job portal for a mechanical engineer position at a unit near Bihara Railway Station Yard. He said the recruiter initially confirmed a monthly salary of ₹18,000 and asked him to join after the 6th of the month. However, when he pressed for a joining letter, his concerns were avoided.
Shamim said the most disturbing moment came when the recruiter asked him, “Are you Hindu or Muslim?” After he answered, he was told that there was no vacancy. “It was not about my qualifications or experience. It was purely about religion. This is unfair and unconstitutional,” he said.
The job description itself raised questions, as it required candidates to be “Bengali by birth and Indian by birth” and to know three major languages. Shamim has urged job portals and HR professionals to act against discriminatory practices and to ensure transparent and fair recruitment.
This incident comes amid a series of cases where Muslims have reported discrimination in educational and professional spaces. In Ahmedabad, a Muslim nursing student was asked to shave his beard before an exam. In Kolkata, assistant professor Sanjida Quader resigned alleging harassment for wearing the hijab. In Bengaluru, Kashmiri nursing students said they were threatened with expulsion for attending classes in hijab or burqa.
Data from the Periodic Labour Force Survey shows Muslim representation in wage employment fell from 22.1 percent in 2018-19 to 15.3 percent in 2022-23.
