Lawmakers from the Bharatiya Janata Party (right nationalist) in the Assam region have asked the state government to demolish a museum displaying Muslim migrant culture in Goalpara district.

Miya Private Museum was inaugurated in Dapkarbhita, Lakhipur district, Goalpara district on 23 October.

The term “Miya” is a derogatory term used primarily by indigenous peoples to refer to Muslims from Bengal who have settled in the Assam region since the late 1890s, originally brought in by the British for commercial farming.

Several years ago, scholars, professionals, and writers in the community embarked on a project to reclaim the word for what it literally means – “master” or “man”.

While local leaders of the minority-based All India United Democratic Front have appreciated efforts to preserve Muslim cultural traits, especially those inhabiting char-chaporis (sand benches or river islands), BJP leaders have not appreciated the development. from this museum.

“I ask the state government to remove this museum,” said Prasanta Phukan, a BJP legislator from Dibrugarh, east Assam.

Former BJP MP Shiladitya Dev called for “stronger action against museums and those responsible for it”.

Assamese Legislative Council member Himanta Biswa Sarma did not respond to requests from his party or opposition leaders, but has rejected former Congressman Sherman Ali Ahmed’s proposal to create a Miya Museum inside the Srimanta Sankaradeva Cultural Institute Kalakshetra Guwahati by 2020.

The Kalakshetra Center, popular with tourists, showcases the cultural heritage of the multi-ethnic region of Assam.