Pork thrown at mosque in Assam’s Guwahati, sparks communal tensions
In Guwahati, Assam, tension erupted after an unidentified individual allegedly threw pork at the premises of the Eidgah mosque late Sunday night.
The incident occurred in the Panjabari area of Guwahati, at a mosque situated on Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed Path in Puran Basti, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Dispur Police Station.
The meat, wrapped in a polythene bag, was discovered early Monday morning by the Imam who had arrived to deliver the Azaan.
According to CCTV footage, a man wearing a blue shirt and helmet arrived on a two-wheeler and was seen hurling a plastic packet into the mosque premises before fleeing the scene.
The transparent packet contained raw pork along with a handwritten note in Assamese. The note read: “Miya child, you got me pregnant. Now you eat pork,” and was signed with the name “Plabita Das” along with a mobile number, details that have further intensified the controversy.
The term "Miya," often used to refer to the Bengali-speaking Muslim community in Assam, has increasingly taken on a derogatory connotation, frequently used to stigmatize and marginalize the community.
Police have launched an investigation and analysed CCTV footage, which led to the arrest of Mridupawan Pathak from Barpeta by Dispur Police for his alleged involvement in the incident.
The mobile number mentioned in the note is also examined as part of the probe.
The act has sparked outrage among residents, who are demanding swift action against the perpetrator and enhanced security at religious sites.
Authorities have classified the case as highly sensitive and assured that all efforts are being made to maintain peace and prevent any potential communal unrest.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday said, “When a few tried to weaponize beef to drive Hindus away by placing it near temples, we must also ask, what if pork is placed in mosques to drive Muslims away? So, we shouldn’t have beef, and we shouldn’t have pork either.”
However, Sarma condemned the incident, calling the act unacceptable and vowing strict action against those responsible.
Earlier in June, tensions erupted in Dhubri, Assam, after the alleged discovery of meat near a temple triggered communal unrest and heightened religious sensitivities in the area.
Communal tension gripped Assam’s Dhubri after alleged cow meat was found near a Hanuman temple, prompting CM Himanta Biswa Sarma to issue a shoot-at-sight order, which has been criticised for being excessive and potentially exacerbating the situation, with concerns about proportionality and human rights violations.
