Govt vs People: In the end, who pays the price when Assam loses an opportunity?

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s visit to Assam has been cancelled, and with it, Assam may have lost a golden opportunity for industrial growth. The question now is: who is responsible?

This is where the debate of government versus the people begins. If the cancellation was indeed linked to the events surrounding the Ganeshguri flyover incident, then whose mistake was it?

Perhaps no one had anticipated that the removal of the Zubeen Garg mural would trigger such a massive public reaction and take on an entirely different dimension. People came out in large numbers because, for many of them, Zubeen Garg is more than just a singer, he is an emotion and an integral part of Assamese identity.

No one had imagined that this issue would escalate to a point where it could potentially impact Assam's interests on a much larger scale.

A problem was created, and a Prime Minister's visit got cancelled. There were investments to be discussed, ideas to be shared, partnerships to be built, and opportunities to be explored. But everything came to a halt when Japan's Chief Secretary reportedly informed the Indian side that the Assam leg of the visit would not go ahead.

Addressing the media, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on June 23, said that India's Foreign Secretary, Vikram Misri, informed Assam's Chief Secretary at around 10:30 pm on Monday about the cancellation.

Rumours, predictions, and assumptions quickly flooded social media about why the Prime Minister's trip was cancelled.

Who was responsible?
How much loss will Assam incur because of this?
This is not the first time a Prime Minister's visit to Assam has been cancelled. A similar situation arose during the anti-CAA protests in 2019. Whenever a high-level visit is cancelled, the loss is often much bigger than what is immediately visible.

What is concerning is that many young people and citizens are taking this discussion in different directions without giving enough thought to what Assam's youth, entrepreneurs, and job seekers could have gained had the visit gone ahead successfully.

Every one of us admires Zubeen Garg, and he will always hold a special place in the hearts of Assamese people. No matter how many times different forces try to use his name for their own interests, Zubeen Garg never stood for division among the people of Assam.

And I am not saying that everything which appears simple is actually simple. There are complexities, critical considerations, and strategic interests involved in every diplomatic engagement.

But the question remains: Will Assam be able to become an entrepreneurial hub one day?

People in Assam want development. They want jobs, investments, opportunities, and platforms where ideas can be shared and businesses can grow. But for that to happen, Assam has to be ready, not through outward displays alone, but through a mindset that welcomes dialogue, innovation, and new initiatives.
I believe that is the Assam everyone wants to live in, an Assam that leads on its own terms.

Instead of blaming each other, as this debate has increasingly become a case of people versus government, perhaps the conversation should begin with the youth. What kind of Assam do they want to see in the next five years?

Do they want investments, opportunities, a platform where businesses can flourish, and where ideas are welcomed?

That is what we have always fought for, to create conditions where businesses can grow and the state can prosper.
And for that, the people of Assam have to stand together. Compared to larger business-oriented communities such as Gujaratis and Marathis, Assamese society is relatively small in number. In a journey that is ultimately about Assam's growth and future, we are stronger when we move together.
Because when it comes to building Assam, we are all on the same side.