Syeda Saiyidain Hameed, a former member of the Planning Commission during the UPA regime, has stirred controversy during her visit to Assam by asserting that Bangladeshis have the right to live in India. Her remarks come amid ongoing efforts by the Assam government to evict illegal encroachers from state-owned lands and push back undocumented immigrants from Bangladesh.
Hameed was part of a visiting delegation that included several prominent left-leaning activists such as Prashant Bhushan, Harsh Mander, and Jawahar Sircar. Speaking to the media, she accused the Assam government of unfairly targeting Muslims by labeling them as Bangladeshis. “So what if they are from Bangladesh?” she said. “They are human beings too. The Earth is vast enough for them to live here. No one’s rights are being taken away.”
She went further, claiming that to argue illegal immigrants infringe on the rights of legal citizens is “deeply disturbing, misleading, and harmful to humanity.” Invoking religious sentiment, she added, “Allah created this earth for human beings, not for devils. Evicting someone standing on this land is like bringing doomsday upon Muslims.” Hameed also called for unity in preserving India’s shared cultural heritage, or Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb.
Meanwhile, activist Prashant Bhushan escalated the rhetoric, alleging that not only are illegal immigrants being deported, but Indian Muslims are also being forcibly sent to Bangladesh. “The Himanta Biswa Sarma-led Assam government is engaging in unlawful and unconstitutional acts,” he claimed, accusing the administration of forcefully evicting residents, demolishing homes, and pushing people across the border without due process.
The visiting team said their purpose in Assam was to engage with local communities and witness firsthand the impact of these evictions. However, Bhushan stated they were blocked from entering the Goalpara district, where some of the evictions had occurred on forest land.
Their visit was facilitated by Asom Nagarik Sanmilan, a civic group that invites intellectuals and activists from across India to speak on pressing social and political issues. Rajya Sabha MP Ajit Kumar Bhuyan, associated with the group, confirmed the team was invited to share perspectives on the recent developments in the state.
Earlier in the day, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma responded strongly to the delegation’s presence. Referring to recent remarks from Jamaat-e-Hind demanding his removal, Sarma said a “Delhi-based team” including Harsh Mander, Wajahat Habibullah, Fayaz Shaheen, Prashant Bhushan, and Jawahar Sircar had now descended on the state. He accused them of attempting to reframe lawful eviction drives as humanitarian crises.
“This is a deliberate campaign to sabotage our efforts to reclaim state land from illegal encroachers,” Sarma said. “We are vigilant and resolute. No amount of propaganda or external pressure will deter us from safeguarding our land and cultural identity.”
(With inputs from OpIndia)
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