GUWAHATI: Assam health, finance and education minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma clarified that no Miya Museum would be set up at Srimanta Kalakshetra in Guwahati. Dr. Sarma’s reaction came after Congress MLA Sherman Ali Ahmed proposed to set up a Miya Museum at Kalakshetra.
“The Assam Government wants to clearly state that no Miya Museum or any other museums will be set up at Sankardeva Kalakshetra. The directorate of museums will not also set up any Miya Museum,” Dr. Sarma said on Sunday.
He stated that Sankardeva Kalakshetra has been under target by a certain section since the anti-CAA movement.
“Even during the CAA movement, a certain section vandalised the gate of Sankardeva Kalakshetra. Now they are eyeing on the Kalakshetra. There is no question of a museum there reflecting other culture and civilization,” minister Sarma said.
Earlier on Saturday, Dr. Sarma took to Twitter to express his resentment over the proposal made by the Congress legislator.
“In my understanding, there is no separate identity-and culture in Char Anchal of Assam as most of the people had migrated from Bangladesh. Obviously, in Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakhetra, which is the epitome of Assamese culture, we will not allow any distortion. Sorry MLA Sahab” he tweeted.
Sherman Ali Ahmed who represents Baghbar constituency in lower Assam’s Barpeta district made the strange proposal at a standing committee meeting of Assam Legislative Assembly.
“I have proposed a museum for the people living on the sandbars of Assam. The museum should be established at Kalakshetra. Since the majority of population of these areas is from so-called Miya community, therefore it should be named as Miya Museum,” Sherman Ali Ahmed said.
The Congress MLA said that a museum reflecting the culture and heritage of the Miya people living in the Char-Chaporis (Sandbars) of Assam should be set up on the premises of Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra which was an outcome of historic Assam Accord.
He also wrote to the director of museums of the Assam government to expedite the process of setting up the museum.
