Muslims in Shillong struggling to make their presence felt

By Mudassir Rizwan, TwoCircles.net,

Muslims settled down in Shillong in 17th century though, they are at best still struggling to make their presence felt. With migration of Muslims from Hindi heartland including Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, the position of local Muslims have got strengthened a little in Shillong that is dominated by Christians.

The capital of Meghalaya (The Abode of Clouds) an Indian state, Shillong is located at an altitude of 1496 metres above the sea level. It was a small village until 1864, when it became the new civil station of the Khasi and Jaintia hills.

Shillong that falls in the East Khasi Hills district was made capital of Assam in 1874 and remained so till January 1974. In 1972, Shillong became the capital of the newly formed state of Meghalaya. Shillong is also called “Scotland of the East.” The highest point of the entire state is the Shillong peak whose elevation is about 1965m above sea level.

Meghalaya is a region of great scenic beauty with lush, undulating hills, fertile valleys, 250 species of orchids, meandering rivers, waterfalls, sparkling mountain streams and lakes. The state is known for its natural beauty and the simple lifestyle of its tribal people. It is also known for Cherrapunjee, the wettest place on earth, which is only 56 kms away from Shillong.

Christianity is the main religion of Shillong and Meghalaya. However, a small number of Muslims also reside in Shillong. The people here are hard-working and simple. The Muslim population of the town comprises of the Khasi, Assamese, Bengali, Hindi and Nepali speaking people.

The Umshyrpi College which have 300 Muslim students and some minority schools like Madrasa Hemayatul Islam and Islamia Secondary High School are the examples of living presence of Muslims in the city of Shillong. For centuries, Muslims have been living in peace and harmony with the majority community.

The personalities like late Syed Muhammad Sadullah, the first premier of Assam, Sir Akbar Hydari, the first governor of Assam and late Fakhruddin Ali Ahmad who became the president of India once lived in Shillong and immensely contributed to its growth and development.

The total population of Meghalaya is 2,318,822, out of which Shillong has 660,923 according to the census 2001. Muslims are roughly around 60,000 in Shillong.

TwoCircles.net talked to Sayeedullah Nongrum, Health Minister of Meghalaya, to know about Muslims in Shillong and Meghalaya. He said the total population of Muslims in Meghalaya is 300,000 (approx). The total population of Tribal Muslims in Shillong is 13,000 and non-tribal Muslims including those from Bihar and UP is 50,000 (approx). They have been struggling hard for their socio-economic development and preservation of their religious and cultural identity, said Sayeedullah Nongrum. “I am also Tribal Muslim,” said Nongrum. Some Muslims are in government job, some have business like shoemaking and meat trade. Some have their own house and some in rent. Nongrum, MLA of Raja Bala in Garo Hills district, is also the general secretary of Shillong Muslim Union. Some other Muslim MLAs in Meghalaya are Abu Tahir Mandal of Phulbari and Abdus Saleh from Mahander Ganj in Garo Hills.

Non-natives of the state cannot buy land or house in their name.

There are six mosques in the city of Shillong. They are located at Police Bazar, Laban, Laitumkhra, Garikhana, Bara Pathar and Jhalupara. There are also two graveyards located at Laban and Mawprem, and three Idgah fields at Laitumkhra, Laban and Mawprem.

There are some Muslim organisations like SIO, Shillong Muslim Union, and NGO like Seng Bhalany Islam.