Gaurav Gogoi is a 'Baccha' who doesn't know the history, says CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

In a sharp retort directed at Assam Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma took a jibe, characterizing him as a "baccha" or kid who lacks an understanding of history and Manipur's intricate dynamics.

Chief Minister Sarma expressed his perspective, asserting that the Congress party's assertions about Manipur's creation were inaccurate. CM Sarma said that Congress have created three Manipurs, not just two, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's endeavors are aimed at forging unity among these divergent entities.

Himanta Biswa Sarma stated that Gaurav Gogoi is spreading misinformation concerning PM Manmohan's visit to Assam in 2008.

Gaurav Gogoi's claim that during the Kokrajhar violence and the Hindu-Muslim clashes in Bodoland in 2008, the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visited the affected areas is false. Manmohan Singh did not visit Kokrajhar or Bodoland during the 2008 unrest in Assam. This statement lacks factual accuracy. In 2008, Manmohan Singh did not visit the riot-affected regions. It was only in 2012 that he visited Kokrajhar, and his visit lasted for only an hour. Therefore, the brief visit by the Prime Minister cannot be attributed to resolving the conflict.

"I, along with both Bodo and Muslim leaders, facilitated a discussion in Delhi. This discussion took place in the presence of the then Home Secretary RK Singh, and disputes were successfully resolved through this process. There was no proactive initiative from the Chief Minister of Congress at that time. The resolution was primarily an outcome of efforts by the Intelligence Bureau and RK Singh. I was tasked with bringing the leaders to Delhi, and the dispute was effectively resolved through dialogue.", CM Sarma said.

Diving into the complexities, Chief Minister Sarma underscored that Manipur's history is intertwined with three distinct parties: the Meitei, Kuki, and Naga ethnic groups. He emphasized the longstanding nature of these divisions, dating back to the inception of independence, and highlighted that these divisions were not newly created but rather a legacy of Congress' governance.

Amidst these intricacies, Chief Minister Sarma expressed a sense of optimism regarding the Naga community's constructive contributions to resolving Manipur's issues. However, he acknowledged that the points of conflict primarily revolve around the Meitei, Kuki, and Naga parties, emphasizing the multi-party dimension of Manipur's situation.

Responding to Gaurav Gogoi's focus on forest destruction in parliament, Chief Minister Sarma countered with a historical perspective. He revealed that the issue of deforestation is not a recent phenomenon but has persisted for six decades. Chief Minister Sarma questioned Gogoi's selective data presentation, urging him to consider the forest cover from 1947 to 2017 for a more comprehensive understanding of the issue.