Guwahati: In a bid to strengthen inter-community ties in Assam, any Bengali Hindu who ties the knot with an Assamese Hindu may receive one-time financial assistance of Rs 40,000 from the state government, reported The Times of India.

The financial assistance has been proposed by the Assam Linguistic Minority Development Board. Alok Kumar Ghose, the board chairman, was quoted as saying by the TOI report that inter-community marriage couples, besides facing social boycott, are also deprived of property rights. The fund will help them in setting up shops, beauty salons and also in farming.

Ghose said that the proposal was submitted to the state government two days ago, and a website for the same is being designed for Hindu Bengali-Assamese couples to register their details.

However, the All Assam Minority Students’ Union (AAMSU), termed the proposal "divisive" and accused the board of attempting religious polarisation, added the report.

It accused the government of taking steps to create divisions between Hindus and Muslims.

"Rather than providing assistance along religious lines, the board could have extended help to any financially unstable Bengali person marrying into any religion or community," AAMSU president Rejaul Karim Sarkar was quoted as saying by TOI.

Meanwhile, the All Assam Bengali Youth Students' Federation hailed the move, saying that the organisation would back any initiative to remove "mistrust" between Bengalis and Assamese.