Himanta Biswa Sarma, the man for whom Assam waited for 70 years has completed one year in the office as the Chief Minister of Assam. The northeastern state of Assam with CM Sarma at the helm of affairs has seen unprecedented growth in the last one year. Sarma has not only ruined Congress’ fort in the most important state of the northeast but has also risen to become an irreplaceable asset of Assam.
Sarma: The man who reduced Congress to rubble in Assam
Himanta Biswa Sarma is the best thing that could have ever happened to the crucial Northeast state of Assam. Sarma is one of the most credible faces of the Bhartiya Janta Party in the northeastern region of India. Over a very short span of time, Sarma has proved himself as a man who can be trusted, a man who is a dear for the public, and also a man who knows how to rule.
Sarma was not always associated with the saffron ideology, rather he was associated with the grand old party, that is, the Congress for more than 25 years. Sarma was a Congressman from 1991 to 2015. It was in 2015 that Sarma decided to jump ship to the BJP- to get his due.
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This event initiated two great things. Firstly, the rise of Sarma in Assam as one of the most credible politicians, who is now often referred to as ‘Mama’ by the people of Assam. Secondly, the decline of a party that called Northeast its impregnable fortress. Sarma can not only be credited for ruining Congress in just Assam, but also for establishing a strong foothold for BJP and expanding its base in the region.
Himanta Biswa Sarma: Assam’s irreplaceable asset
Himanta Biswa Sarma has completed one year in office as the Chief Minister, and in this one year, he has left no stone unturned in delivering what promised. While his counterparts have not been able to deliver half of what was promised in the complete tenure, he is working at a breakneck pace to fulfil his promises.
There are numerous achievements to Sarma’s name, including controlling law and order situation, a hard stance on drugs, effective measures to counter insurgency and illegal immigration, and checking population control in the state among others.
Sarma endorses a zero-tolerance policy against crime
Himanta Biswa Sarma, as he completed his oath-taking ceremony resorted to a zero-tolerance policy against crime in the state. Sarma has not only endorsed a zero-tolerance approach but has also ensured that the protectors of law are well equipped. Citing these reasons, Sarma had remarked that shooting at criminals ‘should be the pattern’.
Sarma has time and again insisted that law and order is the top-most priority for his government. Recently, after the reduction of disturbed areas under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), Himanta had said, “It is a testimony to the significant improvement in law and order in the state. With peace getting primacy, North East is now on a new trajectory of growth and development.”
Himanta’s one after another move to resolve disputes
The Northeast, at the time of independence or in the 1950s, didn’t look the way it does today. The states have been reorganized time and again, and the borders are redrawn. The time-to-time recognition and reorganization of states had resulted in numerous disputes between the seven sisters.
For almost seven decades, the North-East people have been witnessing fallouts between different states. But it was Himanta who came and conquered. One after the other he has resolved many interstate disputes with Mizoram and Meghalaya.
The dispute between Assam and Mizoram is on the way to resolution as both the states have formed committees to look into the decades-long dispute between the two states while maintaining peace. Whereas an agreement has been signed by the two northeastern states of Assam and Meghalaya under which six out of twelve disputes have been resolved.
Himanta’s push to Hindutva in the North-East
Assam, under the leadership of CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, is finally returning to a cattle-friendly state, all due to CM Himanta’s push to Hindutva. CM Himanta has made Assam a state where cattle smuggling will not be spared with his Assam Cattle Preservation Bill, 2021 as cattle smuggling from Assam to Bangladesh is a rampant issue in the North-East. Not only this, he has made it clear that beef should not be consumed in the areas where Hindus live and where cow is worshipped.
Read More: Himanta Biswa Sarma announces Rs 15,000 per month grant for Hindu priests
Not only this, Sarma is a flag bearer of leaders working towards the upliftment of the Hindu community and is constantly vocal about the community’s cause. In India, a political ecosystem is developing that also cares for the ‘majority’ community and Sarma is a crucial component of that ecosystem. His latest announcement includes a monthly enumeration for Pujaris of Rs.15,000.
Sarma’s efforts towards countering land jihad and his push for Uniform Civil Code are also commendable and these efforts make him the leader the Northeast desperately wanted for the last seventy years.
Himanta Biswa Sarma has brought militant organisations like ULFA to their knees and has ensured strict actions on human trafficking, anti-drug campaigns and cattle smuggling. Sarma’s focus is on the holistic development of Assam while ensuring an edge to Hindutva not only in the state but the whole region and by 2026, Assam is sure to change for the best.