Being CM's elder brother is painful: Himanta Biswa Sarma's brother

Diganta Biswa Sarma, elder brother of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, has said that being identified solely as the “Chief Minister’s elder brother” is painful and unfair.

A poet, translator and orator, Diganta Biswa Sarma shared a series of posts on Facebook expressing his anguish over being labelled by his familial identity rather than his individuality.

In one of his posts, he wrote, “Father used to say that holding a ministerial position is a responsibility; it has no parents or brothers. Yet in this dark age, I am labelled as the ‘Chief Minister’s elder brother.’”

He further stated, “I pray to God that I may be born again in India, but may I never again be identified by this title. Being called the ‘Chief Minister’s elder brother’ is extremely painful and a very disadvantageous way to live.”

Clarifying his position, he added, “I have said this before, and I say it again, listen carefully. In my personal life, my respect and love for my parents and siblings remain completely intact and will continue until my last breath. But in my social life, I am an independent citizen. I have my own independent ideology. I am not neutral. No malicious group will be able to use me.”

When India Today NE reached out to him regarding the posts, Diganta Biswa Sarma declined to elaborate further. “I don’t want to comment on anything. I am a different kind of person on this earth. Whatever I wrote on Facebook, that is the end of what I have to say,” he stated.

Diganta Biswa Sarma has recently faced criticism from some quarters for publicly backing the Chief Minister on certain issues, including remarks related to alleged “Pakistan connections” involving Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi.

In a post, he addressed Gogoi and his supporters directly, writing:

“To Gaurav Gogoi and his supporters…
Nearly two lakh people in India change their citizenship every year, and the public does not question them. However, when someone steps forward to ‘serve’ the nation as Chief Minister, it is only natural for questions to be raised about whether his wife and children hold Indian citizenship or not.”