GUWAHATI: A cultural procession organized by the Bodoland University (BU) in Kokrajhar, Assam mocked Muslim people portraying them as criminals inviting protests from various Muslim student organizations in the state.
The incident took place on March 16, the fifth day of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting.
The procession was organized by the Department of History on the theme “Bodo Legendary Heroes” on the occasion of 23rd varsity week, Thulunga Festival.
A viral video shows two persons dressed in Muslim attire and wearing beards and skull caps with hands tied behind were beaten up by police personnel and they have been followed by the procession of young boys and girls of the university.
“We do not understand why a higher educational institute tried to portray Muslims as criminals. We condemned the attitude of the Bodoland University for such a humiliation. The entire community is not responsible for an act of a certain person,” Muslim Student Union of Assam (MSUA) central president Jalal Uddin said in a press statement here.
“We will wait for two days. If the university authority does not clarify the issue, we will lodge an FIR against them,” the student leader said.
“It is unfortunate that the incident took place when Pramod Boro is the chief of the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR). We also demand the BTR administration to take action against the people involved in it,” he said.
Another minority Muslim student organization also came forward to voice against the act of the university.
In a statement, AMSU’s West Kokrajhar District Committee said this act of the Bodoland University is condemnable.
“A cultural procession of a higher educational institution like Bodoland University should showcase the cultural, tradition and heritage of all ethnic groups. They should not humiliate any ethnic group or community. But this act has saddened us. We will not tolerate it,” the statement said.
The students’ organization sought an apology from the university authorities in this regard.
North East Minority Students Union (NEMU), Krishak Shramiak Unnayan Sangram Samiti (KSUSS), Muslim Jatiya Parishad (MJP), and Burman Mandai Students Union (BMSU) also condemned the act of the university.
