However, that is hardly the case. Around 28% of Bihar’s 2.31 crore Muslim inhabitants reside within the Seemanchal area comprising Kishanganj, Katihar, Araria and Purnia districts. While nearly all of them are from the Sunni denomination of Islam, the neighborhood just isn’t homogeneous.
Caste composition
Muslims in Seemanchal are broadly divided into three castes — the Surjapuri, Shershahbadi and Kulhaiya castes. Although the variations between them are usually not very apparent to an outsider, these three caste teams differ culturally, hardly ever intermarry, and communicate distinct dialects. The dialects originate from a mix of Maithili and Bangla, diluted with phrases borrowed from Hindi and Urdu. The dialect spoken by Shershahbadis is nearer to Bangla, whereas the Kulhaiya dialect is nearer to Maithili. Surjapuri lies someplace within the center, with heavy dilution from Urdu phrases.
However, the most important distinction between the caste teams depends upon which Sunni Islamic motion they comply with — Barelvi, Deobandi, or Ahle Hadith. Surjapuris are divided between Barelvi and Deobandi, with a bigger part leaning in direction of the previous. The Kulhaiyas are predominantly Deobandi, whereas Shershahbadis largely comply with Ahle Hadith. Barelvi, Deobandi and Ahle Hadith are three Sunni Islamic actions in South Asia. Barelvis embrace Sufism, veneration of saints, and the celebration of Prophet Muhammad’s birthday. Deobandis are extra reformist, discourage extreme saint veneration and improvements, whereas sustaining some Sufi affect in a stricter kind. Ahle Hadith adherents rely instantly on the Quran and Hadith, opposing any spiritual customs not present in early Islamic texts.
Earlier, all three teams — the Surjapuri, Shershahbadi and Kulhaiya — have been recognized as Shaikh, one of many three castes categorised as upper-caste Muslims together with Pathan and Syed. However, as a result of historic backwardness of the area and adjustments in political illustration, Shershahbadis and Kulhaiyas have been included within the checklist of Extremely Backward Classes (EBC), whereas Surjapuris remained within the Backward Caste class. The Bihar caste Census 2023 identifies Surjapuris because the third largest Muslim caste group (after Shaikh and Ansari) with a inhabitants of round 24.5 lakh individuals. The Shershahbadis have round 13 lakh, and Kulhaiyas, 12.5 lakh. There can be a fourth caste derived from Shaikh known as the Sekhra, with a inhabitants of about 2.5 lakh in Seemanchal. In addition, there are Muslims from completely different castes who’ve migrated from completely different components of Bihar to Seemanchal for enterprise functions. They are collectively referred to by locals as Pachhimas, that means Westerners or these coming from the west, notably from the area across the Begusarai district.
The Surjapuri Muslims primarily reside in Kishanganj, Purnia and Katihar districts. Araria is dominated by Kulhaiya Muslims, with a substantial inhabitants additionally residing in Purnia. Shershahbadi Muslims primarily reside in Katihar, with a substantial presence in Kishanganj.
Shifting traits
Caste consciousness and voting alongside caste traces is a current phenomenon among the many Muslims of Seemanchal. These political shifts started round 2000, and by 2010, the change had grow to be seen.
Before 2000, there have been Muslim MLAs from all 4 distinguished castes in Seemanchal. Mohammad Hussain Azad, Rafique Alam, Abdul Jalil Mastan (Amour), Abdus Subhan, Islamuddin, Najmuddin, Mohammad Suleman, Abdul Jalil (Kadwa) and Usman Ghani from the Surjapuri caste; Mohammad Taslimuddin, Hasibur Rahman, Motiur Rahman, Halimuddin Ahmed, Muzaffar Hussain and Beula Doza from Kulhaiyas; Mohammad Shakoor, Mubarak Hussain and Mansoor Alam from Shershahbadis; and Mohammad Azimuddin from the Sekhra caste have been elected MLAs from completely different constituencies of Seemanchal. Many of them obtained elected from seats not dominated by their castes.
However, this well-distributed illustration, which mirrored the saying Jiski jitni sankhya bhaari, Uski utni hissedaari (the larger one’s numbers, the larger one’s share), was not mirrored on the Lok Sabha degree. The Kishanganj Lok Sabha constituency, dominated by Surjapuri Muslims, was represented both by Kulhaiya leaders like Mohammad Tahir, Jamilur Rahman, Halimuddin Ahmed and Mohammad Taslimuddin, or by upper-caste Muslim leaders similar to Syed Shahabuddin, Syed Shahnawaz Hussain, or parachute politicians like M.J. Akbar.
It took a tall Surjapuri chief, Maulana Asrarul Haque Qasmi, a well known Islamic scholar who served as basic secretary of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, 24 years to get elected from Kishanganj. He first contested within the 1985 byelection however may solely win within the 2009 basic elections, when Surjapuri Muslims collectively rallied behind him towards the incumbent Mohammad Taslimuddin, a Kulhaiya. After that, in 2014, Mr. Taslimuddin shifted his base to neighbouring Araria, a Kulhaiya-dominated constituency.
In subsequent elections, Surjapuri Muslims continued to dominate the Kishanganj seat, reaching a peak within the final Lok Sabha elections which noticed a triangular contest between three Surjapuri Muslim candidates — Mohammad Jawaid from the Congress, Mujahid Alam from the Janata Dal (United), and Akhtarul Iman from the AIMIM. Meanwhile, Mr. Taslimuddin’s household has maintained dominance in Araria, successful or shedding in shut contests since 2014. Katihar’s lengthy anticipate native Muslim illustration in Parliament continues as Tarique Anwar, a Syed from Arwal, has held sway there for 50 years.
The current situation
Since 2000, the variety of Surjapuri MLAs within the Bihar meeting has ranged between 5 and 7, Kulhaiya between one and two, Sekhra between zero and one, whereas MLAs from probably the most vilified Shershahbadi neighborhood has dropped from two to zero.
Out of the 24 Assembly constituencies in Seemanchal, 11 have been gained by Muslim MLAs in 2020. Of these, six are Surjapuri, two Kulhaiyas, one Sekhra, and two upper-caste Muslims. The variety of Muslim MLAs within the area was the identical in 2015, however then there have been seven Surjapuri MLAs and just one upper-caste Muslim MLA. Purnia’s Baisi seat is at present represented by Syed Ruknuddin Ahmad, an upper-caste Muslim whose household has historically managed an area dargah, a shrine revered by Barelvi Muslims. Senior Congress chief Shakeel Ahmad Khan, additionally an upper-caste Muslim, has consecutively gained from Katihar’s Kadwa seat.
Just just like the Kishanganj Lok Sabha seat, in lots of seats the caste equation has now stabilised. All 4 Assembly seats within the Kishanganj district — Kochadhaman, Bahadurganj, Kishanganj and Thakurganj — together with Katihar’s Balrampur, are dominated by Surjapuri Muslims. Araria district’s Jokihat and Araria are conventional Kulhaiya seats. Purnia’s Amour and Baisi are largely Surjapuri-dominated however have a major Kulhaiya inhabitants. Katihar’s Pranpur has a mixture of Surjapuri and Shershahbadi populations, whereas Kadwa has a big Surjapuri inhabitants. Katihar’s Barari, Manihari and Korha, and Kishanganj’s Thakurganj and Kishanganj seats, have a substantial Shershahbadi inhabitants.
Sekhra Muslims are numerically vital within the Araria meeting seat, though the one present Sekhra MLA represents Purnia’s Kasba, which has a notable Kulhaiya and Shershahbadi presence.
It is now nearly inconceivable for a non-Surjapuri Muslim candidate to win from Kochadhaman, Bahadurganj, Kishanganj, Thakurganj and Balrampur. Similarly, a non-Kulhaiya Muslim can not hope to win from Jokihat, and the Araria meeting seat can be troublesome for a non-Kulhaiya Muslim candidate. Amour and Baisi, although Surjapuri-dominated, typically see sturdy Kulhaiya candidates. Pranpur is the one seat the place a distinguished Shershahbadi Muslim candidate has appeared in the previous few elections. Manihari is reserved for Scheduled Tribes, Korha for Scheduled Castes, whereas not one of the main alliances now discipline Muslim candidates in Barari.
The Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) in Bihar, which is the Opposition alliance, comprising the Rashtriya Janata Dal, Congress, Left events and others will respect the caste dominance of their ticket distribution this time as properly. The AIMIM which had tasted success in 5 seats of Seemanchal by unifying Surjapuri-Kulahaiya votes is making the identical try once more in these elections. The AIMIM Bihar chief Akhtarul Iman is a distinguished Surjapuri chief and the incumbent MLA from Amour. However, the social gathering has introduced a Kulhaiya candidate within the neighbouring Baisi seat, in an try and unite Surjapuri-Kulhaiya votes within the area, and it’s provided that the social gathering’s candidate within the neighbouring seat, Jokihat, will likely be a Kulhaiya.
Tanzil Asif is the founding father of Seemanchal-based information platform Main Media.
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