With the various controversies erupting due to the recommendation to set up a ‘Miya Museum’ at Sankardeva Kalakshetra, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Monday rejected the proposal of instituting the museum stating that the Kalakshetra has been modeled on the ideals of the Sankardeva and those ideals will always be upheld.
Congress MLA, Sherman Ali Ahmed on October 24 proposed the idea of setting up the ‘Miya Museum’ depicting the culture and heritage of people residing in the Char areas.
On October 18, he wrote a letter to the Director of Museums which stated, “I would like to inform you that one museum reflecting the culture & heritage of the people living in Char-Chaporis of Assam in the premises of Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra, Guwahati was recommended by DRSC on Education, 2020-21 in its 47th Report on Art and Culture (Grant No. 27). I would therefore like to request you kindly to expedite the process of establishment of the same.”
Since then, several politicians and indigenous organizations launched intense attacks against the MLA mentioning the fact that it would deform the heritage of Assamese culture.
Earlier on Sunday, the Finance Minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma also clarified that there will be no ‘Miya Museum’ at Sankardeva Kalakshetra.
Taking to Twitter, the minister stated that there is no separate identity and culture in the Char Anchal of Assam as most of the people living there have migrated from Bangladesh. Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakhetra is the epitome of Assamese culture and no one is allowed to distort it, he added.
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