Rear pigs to safeguard land from land grabbers: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to tribals

GUWAHATI: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday attacked the Congress party, saying they harbour plans to incorporate Goalpara, a minority tribal-inhabited district in lower Assam, into Bangladesh, while urging every village in Assam to rear pigs to maintain distance from one community.
Sarma was addressing an election campaign meeting for the forthcoming April 2 Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council (RHAC) polls in Dudhnoi in Goalpara district, where BJP and its allies are collaborating with the Rabha Hasong Joint Movement Committee (RHJMC), challenging the Congress party, to retain the council. The results will be declared on April 4.
Emphasising that BJP would safeguard the rights of indigenous communities from the influx of illegal migrants from Bangladesh, Sarma said various tribal and linguistic communities of the state must maintain solidarity, else illegal Bangladeshi immigrants "won't allow anyone to live".
"Presently, Congress require votes, however we cannot disregard the magnitude of atrocities they perpetrated upon the Rabha community. Congress could have unified us, but they refrained because they desire to relinquish Goalpara district to foreigners. Whereas we, BJP, consistently endeavour to preserve Goalpara for Indians, tribals, Assamese people," Sarma said.
Goalpara possesses substantial pig population and tribal communities like Rabhas engage in pig rearing, from which Muslims maintain distance. "Pig farming should be implemented extensively so that 'certain people' avoid proximity to dwellings. I advocate that every village in Assam undertake pig farming to prevent land encroachment," Sarma said, referring to encroachment attempts by minority villagers occasionally resulting in conflicts with indigenous communities in the state.
Goalpara encompasses diverse populations of Rabha, Bodo, Garo, Koch-Rajbongshi, Bengali and Assamese speaking inhabitants. Sarma emphasised that without unity akin to one family, Bangladeshis would grab their land and property.
"Following BJP's ascension to power, Bangladeshi infiltrators have crawled into the holes (to their hideouts). However, we must preserve this unity. Otherwise, our survival shall be imperilled," he cautioned.
Sarma told reporters that he has assured the Rabha community of a tripartite meeting involving the Centre and home minister Amit Shah regarding their inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, or Constitutional recognition, or their principal concerns.
Sarma held Congress accountable for 24 deaths in RHAC areas when Rabhas had vehemently opposed conducting 2013 Panchayat polls in RHAC areas during Congress regime.
He subsequently attended another meeting in Boko in Kamrup district, on Saturday.