HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, Dec 27: Assam’s political landscape has been sharply polarised by a fresh and intense debate over history, identity and cultural ownership, with Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi and chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma locked in a war of words that has triggered a strong backlash from the BJP.
The controversy erupted after Sarma, addressing a party meeting, dismissed the narrative of Assam being a land of “Sankar–Azan” syncretism.
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The chief minister asserted that such interpretations dilute Assam’s indigenous civilisational roots and overlook historical realities.
Emphasising the Vaishnavite legacy of Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardeva and Madhavdeva, Sarma declared that Assam is the land of “Sankar–Madhav”, not a product of selective historical reinterpretation.
He cautioned that romanticised narratives weaken the cultural foundation of a state that serves as India’s gateway to the Northeast.
Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi responded swiftly and forcefully on social media, asserting that Assam’s identity cannot be confined to a single ideological framework.
Describing the state as the land of “Sankar-Azan” alongside Madhavdeva, Bir Chilarai and Chaolung Sukapha, Gogoi invoked a broad spectrum of Assamese icons — from literary giants Jyotiprasad Agarwala and Laxminath Bezbaruah to cultural icon Bhupen Hazarika and martyrs Kushal Konwar and Kamala Miri. Declaring “this is our Axom, our Bor Axom”, Gogoi said no statement from the chief minister could alter that reality.
Escalating the attack, Gogoi took personal digs at Sarma, alleging that the chief minister’s politics revolved around syndicates, tolls and coal rather than culture.
He said the people of Assam would stand united to protect the rights and identity of bhumiputra, khilonjiya and Axombaaxi communities.
The BJP, however, hit back sharply, accusing Gogoi of distorting history for political convenience.
Lakhimpur MLA Manab Deka said Assam’s heritage, shaped by saints and heroes born on its soil, is non-negotiable.
He asserted that equating indigenous spiritual icons like Sankardeva, Madhavdeva and Chaolung Sukapha with Azan Faqir amounted to historical misrepresentation.
Cabinet minister Pijush Hazarika echoed the sentiment, calling such comparisons politically motivated and deeply offensive to Assamese identity.
Senior BJP leaders Kaushik Rai and Rupesh Gowala also weighed in, accusing Gogoi of diluting Assam’s civilisational roots for electoral gains.
As the exchange intensifies, the debate has brought issues of indigeneity, cultural pride and historical narrative to the forefront of Assam’s political discourse, setting the stage for deeper ideological battles in the days ahead.
