Assam’s demographic reckoning
When Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma tells audiences that his state faces an “existential” demographic threat, he is not reaching for hyperbole in a vacuum.
When Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma tells audiences that his state faces an “existential” demographic threat, he is not reaching for hyperbole in a vacuum.
For decades, Assam's assembly ran on three languages, and now a fourth joins the mix. Starting July 6, Hindi will be used in the state assembly for the first time, alongside Assamese, English and Bodo.
As the states of Assam, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh prepare for enactment of a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) following Uttarakhand which became the first in the country to do so, the discourse around UCC pertaining to individual rights is under much discussion.
The NIA has filed a chargesheet against 11 accused in an alleged terror conspiracy linked to a JMB offshoot. The agency claims the network targeted vulnerable youth and sought to expand its activities across West Bengal, Assam and Tripura.
A recent award function on the occasion of the annual Devarshi Narad Jayanti celebration in Guwahati emerged as a platform to highlight Assam’s troubled past, including its historical vulnerability to political uncertainties, and the urgent need for credible journalism to guide media professionals across print, electronic, and digital platforms.
Himanta Biswa Sarma contended that the state’s indigenous population could remain secure “only if the Miya Muslims are kept under pressure”.
In his resignation letter addressed to Assam BJP president Dilip Saikia, Gohain announced that he was stepping down from the party’s primary membership and relinquishing all organizational responsibilities with immediate effect.
The remark came during a public event where Sarma distributed Rs 10,000 seed funds to over 14,000 women beneficiaries under a state initiative aimed at promoting self-employment and entrepreneurship among women.
“We are going to issue fresh summons to all those who have not come yet. The process will continue as per legal procedure,” Gupta told reporters here.
A Bench of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta issued notices to both parties after hearing on an application urging the Court to direct an immediate take-down of the video to curb the spread of communal propaganda and potential unrest.
