Assam: Two detained in Miya Museum case, police to probe terror link

Goalpara (Assam), [India], October 26 : Assam Police on Monday detained two persons in connection with a private Miya Museum dedicated to the Miya Muslim community on allegations of wrongful use of the premises, the officials said.
The detained persons have been identified as Mohar Ali, a resident of Goalpara and Abdul Baten of Dhubri.
The police further said that they have been charged in a case under sections 120 (B), 121, 121 (A), and 122 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and sections 10 and 13 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
The special director general of Assam Police GP Singh took to Twitter and said that the two leaders will be questioned about their links with activities of terrorist outfits Ansarullah Bangla Team and Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent.
"Sri Mohar Ali of Goalpara & Sri Abdul Baten of Dhubri have been detained in connection with Ghograpar PS Case no.163/22, U/S- 120(B)/121/121(A)/122 IPC , R/W-Sec -10/13 UA(P) Act. Further investigation and interrogation would be carried out about their association with AQIS/ABT," tweeted GP Singh.
A private Miya Museum was recently inaugurated by Miya Parishat at the Dapkarbhita Lakhipur area in Assam's Goalpara district.
Notably, the district administration sealed the Miya museum on Tuesday, inaugurated a few days back, citing that the museum was opened in a PMAY house.
Earlier in 2020, expelled Congress MLA Sherman Ali Ahmed sent a letter to the Director of the Museum and stated that one Museum, reflecting the culture and heritage of the people living in Char-Chaporis of Assam on the premises of Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra, Guwahati was recommended by Departmentally Related Standing Committee on Education, 2020-21 in its 47th report on Art and Culture (Grant No. 27).
Those who are living in Char-Chaporis (riverine islands) of Brahmaputra are mostly Bengali-speaking Muslims and locals call them Miya.
Rajib Gogoi, Circle Officer of Goalpara district, said that, as per the direction of the Deputy Commissioner of Goalpara district, we have sealed the PMAY-G house.
"The Miya Museum was opened in the PMAY house," the Circle Officer said.
The Miya community in Assam comprises descendants of Muslim migrants from East Bengal (now Bangladesh) to Assam.
The riverine areas (island) of the river Brahmaputra, locally known as Char-Chapori, cover about 3.60 lakh hectares of land and the chars follow a peculiar pattern of migration.
Citing that nothing belongs to the Miya community except a 'Lungi' in the museum, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said that the state government will probe the matter.
"I don't understand what is this museum. The material which has been placed there belongs to the Assamese people except for Lungi (a piece of cloth). They have placed on Nangol (a tool used to plough land), fishing equipment there, but our scheduled caste people have used these traditional types of equipment for decades after decades. What is new in there except Lungi?" CM said. Adding that they (not only Miya Parishad, but people supporting it) will have to prove before the government that, the Nangol is only used by Miya people, not others.
If they set up Miya Museum by using the tools, and types of equipment of Assamese people, then a case will be registered," Himanta Biswa Sarma said.
The Assam Chief Minister further said that the intellectuals of the state should have to think about it, they called me communal when I raised my voice against Miya's poem. Now Miya poem, Miya school, and Miya Museum have taken place.