Image Source: TRIBUNE

Assam is likely to conduct an exercise to identify the state’s indigenous Muslim population and segregate them from illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, even as doubts over the accuracy of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) are yet to be addressed.

As per the plans, the survey will be conducted to identify people of four communities—Goria, Moria, Desi, and Jolah of the tea tribes, considered as indigenous.

Assam Welfare of Minorities Minister Ranjit Dutta has convened a meeting on Tuesday with various organizations of the four communities and other stakeholders to finalize the plan.

“Assam has about 1.3 crore Muslims population, of which around 90 lakh are of Bangladeshi origin. The remaining 40 lakh are from different tribes and they need to be identified,” Assam Minority Development Board Chairman Muminul Aowal told PTI.

The indigenous Muslims are deprived of the benefits of the government welfare schemes in absence of proper identification, he claimed.