Assam police assault Muslim student, hurl Islamophobic slurs
Activist threatened with death after attending women’s rights protest
Dispur: Police in the Indian state of Assam reportedly assaulted a 20-year-old Muslim student activist, hurled Islamophobic slurs at him and threatened to kill him after he participated in a demonstration condemning violence against women.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Sahil Khan, a member of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), said officers forcibly detained him in Guwahati on October 13, shortly after he attended a protest organized by the Women Against Violence Collective, Indian media outlet Maktoob Media reported.
Khan, a first-year university student, said police intercepted him and a friend about 200 metres from the protest site and initially demanded documents for their scooter. Although they produced the required documents, officers ordered him into a police vehicle without explaining the reason for his detention. When he questioned their actions, police personnel reportedly dragged him by his hair, forced him into the vehicle and repeatedly beat him.
“Inside the car, they took me by the hair and assaulted me. They asked me why I joined the protest, as I am a Muslim. I was brutally beaten up by police,” Khan said. He added that officers continued their abuse after taking him through the rear entrance of Panbazar Police Station.
Khan said that police personnel repeatedly addressed him as “Miya”, and questioned why a Muslim was participating in public protests. Khan said officers also threatened to make him disappear and kill him. “Miya” is frequently used as a derogatory reference to Bengali-origin Muslims in Assam.
“Is demanding justice for crimes against women a crime? Or is being a Muslim a crime?” he asked. Khan said more than 200 people had participated in the demonstration, but police singled him out after the event.
Khan’s detention prompted fellow protesters to search several police stations after officers initially denied having him in custody.
Utpola Das, an organizer of the demonstration and SFI state joint secretary, said police eventually acknowledged holding Khan at Panbazar Police Station after protesters approached senior authorities. She said officers initially justified his detention by accusing him of reckless driving. Khan was subsequently released.
Das also said that police made communal remarks and questioned why Khan had been targeted because of his religious identity.
The incident has once again raised concerns over religious discrimination and the treatment of Muslims exercising their democratic rights in Modi’s India.
