Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday slammed the leftist lobby for stereotyping his government as being ‘communal’. Speaking to News18 journalist Aman Chopra on the channel’s new initiative ‘News18 India Chaupal- Desh Ka Sabse Bada Manch’, the Assam CM said that he hasn’t given the right to the left lobby to judge him.
“I haven’t given the leftist lobby the authority to judge what is and isn’t communal. I shall do whatever it takes for the sake of Indian civilisation. This is why I came to power and will continue to do so in the future”, said Sarma responding to Aman Chopra’s allegations that he is viewed as a communal leader.
‘If culture is the same, surely whatever happens in its states will be the same as well’, Himanta Biswa Sarma give a befitting reply on he emulating Yogi Adityanath
When the journalist jeers at Himanta Biswa Sarma for emulating his counterpart Yogi Adityanath in Uttar Pradesh, the Assam CM exclaimed “In India, the culture and civilisation is one, so obviously whatever happens in its states would also be similar”.
Sarma’s response came when Aman Chopra asked him why he was imitating Yogi Adityanath. The journalist remarked: “Wahan love jihad, yahan love jihad. Waha encounter, yahan encounter. Waha gadi ghoom jaati hain, yahan accidents ho jaate hain, waha bulldozer chalta hain, yahan drug mafia par bulldozer chalta hain (love jihad there, love jihad here. Encounter there, encounter here. Cars overturn there, accidents happen here. Bulldozers there, bulldozers on drug mafia’s here).
To this, Sarma wittily responded: “Waha shaadi, yahan shaadi, UP mein puja, Assam mein bhi Puja, UP mein log kapde pehnte hain, Assam mein bhi log kapde pehente hain” (People get married in UP so as in Assam. People worship in UP as in Assam. People where clothes in UP similar to people in Assam). “Why are you stressing on just one aspect? Talk about other aspects also”, exclaimed Himanta Biswa Sarma compelling Aman Chopra to digress from the topic.
‘I intend to shut all the Madarsas in the state’: Assam CM
The anchor then questioned Himanta Biswa Sarma about his crackdown on Madarsas in the state, to which the Assam chief minister explicitly stated that he plans to close all Madarsas in the state and replace them with regular schools. He said that he does not know how far he would be successful but he sincerely wants to see this transformation happen so that his Muslim brothers and sisters become doctors and engineers and contribute to society rather than just becoming Maulvis by attending Madarsas.
These children are unaware, they are forced to go to Madarsas by their parents. This is a violation of the children’s fundamental rights, which Assam will not allow, said Sarma.
“I have shut Madarsas and opened regular schools instead. The children I have interacted with say they are very happy attending normal school”, added the Assam CM.
Aman Chopra of News18 insinuated that Himanta Biswa Sarma is extremely right-wing by pointing to the route he has taken during his tenure, from opposing Love Jihad to closing Madarsas to declaring “Miya vote nahi chahiye” (no need for Musli votes).
Here, once again, without mincing words, Sarma exclaimed: “Will they vote for me even if I ask them to”?. Sarma further added, “I do not want that my name to go down in history, but Assam should be remembered for providing doctors and engineers to the Muslim community rather than just Maulvis”.
“There could be no bigger contribution of my to Assam’s Muslim community than if I can achieve this in five years,” the CM added.
‘Nadi to samundar tak hi jaayega na, Bharat ek Hindu sabhyata hain aur rahega’: Himanta Biswa Sarma
Sarma, responding to a question on Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) said everyone in India was a Hindu before the “Babur era”. “India is a Hindu majority country. Any Hindu facing trouble outside India should have the right to come back to their country. India is the root of every Hindu. Hindutva began 5000 years ago and it cannot be stopped. Hindutva is a way of life. How can I or anybody stop it? It has been flowing through the ages. Almost all of us are descendants of Hindus. Hindutva cannot be “removed” as it will mean “moving away from one’s roots and motherland”, said the CM
“Bharat ek Hindu sabhyata hain aur rahen ga” (India is and will remain a Hindu civilization). It is the inherent right of all Hindus to return to their motherland when in distress and they should be granted this.”
“Nadi to samundar tak hi jaayega na (a river will always flow towards the sea)”, remarked Sarma reiterating that whichever Hindu is facing trouble outside India, they are welcome to the country.
‘Do you have a problem with the opening of Mandirs or beef ban?: Himanta Biswa Sarma to Aman Chopra
Aman Chopra questions Himanta Biswa Sarma led government’s cow protection Bill banning sale and consumption of beef within 5km of temples. He slammed the bill, stating that in order to outlaw beef in the state, the government will allow temples to sprout up every 5 kilometres. The CM lambasted the anchor, querying whether his issue was with the prohibition on beef or the construction of temples. “Do you have a problem with beef ban or with the opening up of temples?
“See, this is a matter of faith. The government cannot intervene if people build temples. But yes, beef sale and consumption within 5 km radius of any temple is banned and that is the law of the state.”
The rhetorics of India being secular is only being peddled since 1947 by the Congress: Assam CM
Here, when the journalist keeps harping that India is a country of Indians, Sarma tells him that the rhetorics of India being a secular country is only being peddled since 1947 by the Congress. “Please revisit history. India has been a land of Hindus for the last 5000 years and will always remain”, said Himanta Biswa Sarma.
Those days have gone. Now I will not talk about Rahul Gandhi, let him talk about me, says Sarma sharing his views on why Congress is being rejected
When the anchor invoked Sarma’s infamous meeting with Rahul Gandhi, in which the Gandhi-scion was busy playing with his pet dog ‘Pidi’ and he had later stated Congress leaders feared Gandhi so much that they ate biscuits from the same plate that had served biscuits to Rahul Gandhi’s dog ‘Pidi’, the Assam CM cut him short by saying: “Those days have gone. Now I will not talk about Rahul Gandhi, let him talk about me”.
When asked about his take on senior Congress leaders ditching the grand old party, Sarma said that people are shunning the feudal mindset. “There was a mindset to follow a family but now it has been changed. New India looks beyond dynasty. Bharat has gone beyond the Gandhis. If you still want to keep a particular family at the centre stage you will be rejected,” said Sarma.
‘Mandir banane ki baat aap sab ko communal kyon lagti hain’: Assam CM questions News18 anchor
Asked his view on Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Vinay Katiyar’s statement where he spoke of reclaiming the Kashi and Mathura temples, Sarma lambasted saying: “If someone says, “we’re going to build a holy site for another community, you’ll give them a “secular certificate” right away. To you, why talking about construction of mandir is seen as communal- why only temple? We are Hindu, we will be Hindu. As a Hindu I am more secular than all the secular,” he said.
“Only if we shun this hunger for secularism, will India become secular in the true sense of the word”, added the Assam CM.
News18 India is hosting its initiative ‘News18 India Chaupal- Desh Ka Sabse Bada Manch’ on December 1-2. The two-day summit will see India’s top politicians, policymakers, sports and film stars come together to discuss and debate on the themes that will set the agenda for 2022 for the country. The program will be telecast on December 1 from 6 pm onwards, and on December 2 from 11 am onwards, on News18 India.
The agenda of this year’s edition is set around themes such as 75 years of Independence, 50 years of India-Pakistan 1971 War (Bangladesh Liberation War), upcoming Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Punjab among others, apart from other key socio-political and economic issues, and the way forward.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai, Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel, Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sharma, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandviya, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of Railways, Communications and Electronics, and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw, BKU Leader Rakesh Tikait, and Bollywood actors Ayushmann Khurrana, Vaani Kapoor, Abhay Deol, among others will take part in the event as speakers.
The full interview can be viewed below:
