What is Assam CM Urging People To Learn From Israel and Why?

On the cultural front, the CM highlighted the government’s efforts to preserve Assamese identity through infrastructural development.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has drawn parallels between the resilience of Israel and the need for Assam to adopt similar strategies to protect its identity and interests. Speaking today at a programme marking Swahid Diwas in Jamugurihat, Sonitpur district, Sarma emphasised the challenges posed by Assam’s geographical and demographic realities and the steps required to address them.

Highlighting Assam’s historical vulnerability due to its borders with Bangladesh, Myanmar, and West Bengal, Sarma urged the Assamese people to learn from Israel’s history.

“Historically, we have shared boundaries with Bangladesh, Myanmar, and West Bengal. We (Assamese people) are a minority in 12 districts,” he said. 

“We have to learn from countries like Israel how using knowledge, science, and technology, combined with indomitable courage, one can survive amidst adversities,” he said. According to Sarma, adopting such resilience is essential for the Assamese community to thrive as a jati (community).

Shahid Diwas commemorates the martyrdom of Khargeswar Talukdar, the first known casualty of the Assam Agitation, a six-year-long movement to safeguard Assamese identity culminating in the Assam Accord of 1985. Sarma remarked that even after nearly four decades since the Accord, threats to Assam’s demographic and cultural integrity persist.

The CM reiterated that while recent political steps, including the delimitation of constituencies, have provided some safeguards, the challenge of economic and cultural survival remains critical. “The Assam Agitation aimed to protect Assamese identity, but demographic changes and loss of land rights among indigenous people continue,” he asserted.

Sarma pointed out that in over 12 districts of Assam, Assamese people have become a minority, a situation exacerbated by political mismanagement in the past. He accused the Congress of enabling such demographic shifts by neglecting the concerns of the indigenous population.

He claimed his government has proactively addressed these issues, citing the reclamation of 10,000 hectares of encroached land in the last three years. However, he stressed that the responsibility of protecting Assam’s identity rests with its youth. “We must reclaim our economic spaces by engaging in traditional occupations like farming and transportation, instead of allowing unknown people to take over our economy,” he said.

Sarma underscored the importance of economic self-reliance to secure Assam’s future. “An identity cannot be sustained on emotions alone. It requires hard work and economic strength,” he stated. He urged the youth to contribute to building a self-reliant Assam by participating in agriculture, industry, and other productive sectors, rather than relying on protests and agitation.

On the cultural front, the CM highlighted the government’s efforts to preserve Assamese identity through infrastructural development. He announced plans to establish a medical college and a university in every district, alongside bridges over the Brahmaputra in all districts it flows through.

Sarma concluded by reaffirming his government’s commitment to protecting Assam’s political, cultural, and economic interests. “Delimitation has given us political protection for some years. We must use this time wisely to secure our identity and strengthen our community,” he said.

The Chief Minister’s remarks reflect a sense of urgency for Assam to adapt and fortify itself amidst evolving challenges, drawing inspiration from global examples like Israel to navigate its unique circumstances.

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