Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday accused the Congress party of mistreating the Gorkha and Adivasi communities during its time in power. Speaking at a rally in Behali, Sarma drew a stark contrast between the Congress-led regime and the current BJP government’s approach to these communities.
Sarma questioned Congress's historical record, asserting, "When Congress was in power, hundreds of Gorkha and Adivasi individuals were killed in Assam. But under the BJP government, not a single such incident has occurred." He cited several violent incidents involving extremist groups, particularly the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB), during Congress's rule.
One of the key events Sarma highlighted was the 2004 Biswanath district killings, where NDFB militants shot dead 12 individuals from Gorkha, Adivasi, and Assamese communities. "On October 4, 2004, in Biswanath district, 12 people from the Gorkha, Adivasi, and Assamese communities were killed by bullets from NDFB militants," he recalled.
He also mentioned subsequent attacks in 2014, in which 27 people were killed in Mati Alu Basti, Simangpara, and Sindhiya, as well as additional assaults in Jongalbasti, Batasipur, Santipur, and Dhekiajuli.
Sarma further criticized the Congress party for its alleged discriminatory stance towards these communities, claiming that the Congress government labelled the Gorkhas and other indigenous people as "foreigners." "The Congress called our indigenous Gorkhas foreigners, labelling them as 'D voters'," he said. According to Sarma, these communities faced systemic marginalization and were denied their rightful place in Assamese society.
The Chief Minister also paid tribute to Gorkha leader Chabilal Upadhyaya, emphasizing his pivotal role in the Assamese language movement. He remarked, "Chabilal Upadhyaya, a great leader, fought for the Assamese language to become the official language of Assam. His descendants should never have been labeled foreigners by the Congress."
To honor Upadhyaya's legacy, Sarma mentioned the recent unveiling of a statue in Tezpur's Ananda Chandra Agarwala Park and revealed plans to erect a larger-than-life statue of the leader in Guwahati.