Lessons from the violence in Assam
What is happening in Assam right now—the violent clashes between minority (Muslim) immigrants and Bodo tribals is a cause for concern. This is not the first time that communal killings are occurring between the Bodos and Muslim immigrants. It has happened in the past and will reoccur even in the future unless people on both side of the divide learn to live in harmony. However the fact remains that not only in Assam, but elsewhere in other parts of the world as well, there is a growing problem on the question of minority immigrants, whichever community or religion they may belong to. It also does not mean that only Muslims are categorized as immigrants. But obviously in the case of what is happening in Kokrajhar, Assam, the minority immigrants are Muslims pitted against the majority Bodo tribals. The two groups have clashed sporadically since 1990s and burned each other's homes and property. This is similar to what is recently happening between the majority Buddhist and ethnic minority (Muslim) Rohingyas in western Myanmar where communal violence between the two communities has led to violence and killings.
What we can conclude is that when people of different race, religion etc converge and occupy the same space, there is bound to be an underlying divide and conflict waiting to explode. It will take only a spark to alight a furnace, like the one we are witnessing in Assam. People want equal access to the limited resources and as a result there will be competition, antagonism and hostility. Not only this, but even ethnic minorities lay claim to protecting their rights, identity and pride on the basis of basic human rights. And this cannot be denied to them either. Perhaps what needs to be done is for the government or the State to frame clear cut policies to address the issue of immigrants from outside so that we are not faced with problems similar to the one involving the Rohingyas in Western Myanmar or the unabated illegal immigrants from Bangladesh dogging the northeast region. In fact, there is absence of a coordinated policy and approach in tackling the problem of illegal migrants from Bangladesh, especially in the northeast. The lackadaisical approach of the Centre as well as the government machineries in the States is worrying to say the least. Ethnic minorities ought to find their rightful place in any State order. But there has to be a strict policy to cut and curtail the ill effects brought about by illegal immigrants.
Coming to the importance of peaceful co-existence between different communities, the bottom line remains that the majority must accommodate the needs of the minorities while the latter must also respect the sentiment and culture of the dominant group. For instance, the recent communal killings in Myanmar began after the rape and murder of a Buddhist girl by three Muslims in Rakhine State on 28th May. Because of such criminal deeds the other side will obviously get angry and retaliate. In the case of the latest violence in Assam, the opposite happened—after gunmen attacked two student leaders belonging to the minority Muslim community. In both cases, it is the retaliatory action which led to further spread of violence. Revenge is never the answer no matter how big the crime is. Besides learning the tools for co-existence, if we want to live in peace with each other, then people must also learn to uphold the rule of law and create the space for dialogue. What is missing in the latest upshot of violence in Assam is the absence of authority and civil society intervention.
