Indira Gandhi visited Assam only to blame assamese people, says CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma speaking on the controversial 1983 visit of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to Assam after the Nellie massacre said that that during her visit, Indira Gandhi spent merely 5 minutes in Nellie and used the opportunity to blame Assamese agitators for the tragic incident.

Sarma shared that the New York Times had reported Gandhi's fleeting visit, highlighting her departure and limited interaction with the locals. When questioned by a New York Times reporter about taking responsibility for the massacre, Gandhi responded by shifting blame onto the agitators, asserting that they were responsible for the tragic event. Sarma stressed that her visit appeared to be primarily aimed at assigning blame rather than offering genuine support or resolution.

Furthermore, Sarma revealed historical insights regarding the then-President Fakruddin Ali Ahmed. During a critical juncture, Ahmed was sent to Tezpur, yet he quickly left the area citing his concern about an impending Chinese threat. This departure occurred without engaging with the people of Tezpur or addressing the situation at hand.

Sarma drew a comparison to an earlier period, stating that during the intense standoff between India and China in October-November 1962, Jawaharlal Nehru, India's Prime Minister at the time, did not visit Assam.