HT Digital,
Guwahati, May 17: In a recent critique, Upamanyu Hazarika, convener of the Prabajan Virodhi Manch, condemned Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for what he termed as contradictory political actions regarding the safeguarding of Assam’s indigenous identities.
Hazarika pointed out that CM Sarma, in an election speech delivered in Jharkhand on Thursday, passionately addressed the dangers posed to Assam’s indigenous population by the influx of Bangladeshi immigrants. Sarma allegedly stated that Assam harbors 1.25 crore Bangladeshi immigrants and has 40 MLAs of Bangladeshi descent, urging the people of Jharkhand to avoid falling into a similar predicament.
However, Hazarika accused Sarma of hypocrisy, claiming that the CM shows no hesitation in courting Bangladeshi voters within Assam. Hazarika asserted that Sarma has effectively undermined the National Register of Citizens (NRC) by failing to conduct necessary re-verifications. Moreover, he accused Sarma of ignoring the implementation of constitutional safeguards recommended by a Central Government committee, which were designed to protect Assam’s indigenous population’s land, resources, and employment opportunities.
Hazarika further criticized Sarma’s political trajectory, asserting that Sarma has habitually aligned himself with the most powerful political entities to secure his position, be it the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU), the Congress, or now the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He suggested that Sarma’s political motivations are driven more by personal ambition than by a commitment to ideology, values, or public service.
