Arrests over ‘pro-Taliban posts’ lead to fears among Assam Muslims

Police in Assam have arrested 16 people since last week for social media posts allegedly supporting the Taliban, leading to fears that the minority community will now be “blamed” for pro-Taliban sentiments in the state, according to a report. 

The Assam Civil Society (ACS), an apolitical organisation of prominent Muslims, has issued a statement that the community does not support the group, which has taken over Afghanistan, and asked political organisations to not politicise the situation.

“We strongly condemn the social media posts. The entire community may be blamed because of some unruly people. We don’t support radicalisation… There are those trying to politicise the situation. But we are very clear, we will not fall into this trap,” Abdus Sabus Tapader, an advocate with the Gauhati High Court and secretary of the ACS, said.

The body has also sent out an advisory, a copy of which has been accessed by The Print website, asking Muslims to remain vigilant.

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The 16 accused included a 23-year-old MBBS student, a police constable, a teacher and a journalist. Nearly all of them have been booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), according to The Print. They are were arrested from Darrang, Kamrup (Rural), Cachar, Barpeta, Baksa, Dhubri, Hailakandi, South Salmara, Goalpara, Hojai, Karimganj and Kamrup (Metro), the website reported.

G.P. Singh, Assam Special DGP (Law and Order) had earlier told The Indian Express that “most of the arrests” were made under sections 120-B, 153-A, 505-1c and 505-2 (conspiracy, posting of defamatory content, religious offence) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 39 (support to a terrorist organisation) of the UAPA.

Maulana Fazul Karim, general secretary of the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), the state’s opposition party, and secretary of the state unit of the Jamiat-e-Ulema, a national organisation of Islamic scholars, was also arrested.

However, an AIUDF spokesperson told PTI that Karim has been suspended from the party.

Meanwhile, Hitesh Chandra Roy, superintendent of police (SP) in Kamrup (Rural), where two individuals — Abu Bakkar Sidique alias Afga Khan Avilekh (55) and Saidul Hoque (29) — were arrested said that the investigation was ongoing.

“There is a fear that posts like these might communalise the situation. But it is important to remember that those arrested do not represent Muslims in Assam. We don’t support fundamentalist thought. And the Assamese Muslims are least bothered about the Taliban,” Hafiz Ahmed, president of the Char Chapori Sahitya Sabha, a literary body in Assam, said.

According to Hafizul Ahmed, chairman of the Goria Development Council, a development council for “indigenous” Muslims, strict action should be taken against those arrested.

“The Assamese Muslims disapprove of such acts. They should be socially boycotted. Strict action needs to be taken against anti-nationals,” Ahmed told The Print.

“There is an overwhelming condemnation by the Muslim community of any post which is even remotely supportive of Taliban coming to power. Every Muslim I know is supporting the arrests, no one is even asking difficult questions like why are they charged under UAPA,” said Aman Wadud, a human rights lawyer from Assam.

“The Muslims of Assam have always been law-abiding, the question of social unrest is not only ridiculous but insane.”