‘Being young is not Gen Z’: Kunki Chowdhury takes aim at Himanta Biswa Sarma, questions Assam’s poll rhetoric

Kunki Chowdhury has stirred political discussion in Assam after releasing a video statement in which she questioned the repeated use of the term “Gen Z” in the recently concluded Assembly election campaign and accused political leaders of promoting misleading narratives in public discourse.

In the nearly four-minute video, Kunki described the phrase as one of the most overused terms of the election season and said several political figures appeared to be using it without understanding its meaning. Identifying herself as part of Generation Z, she said the term refers to people born between 1997 and 2012 and cannot be reduced to age, enthusiasm or campaign optics.

“Being young is not Gen Z. Having energy is not Gen Z,” she said, arguing that political attempts to frame generational identity through slogans reflected a disconnect from the realities of younger voters.

Without naming him initially, Chowdhury later referred to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and criticised what she described as factually inaccurate campaign narratives. Referring to controversies raised during the election campaign, including remarks linked to the beef row and allegations involving her family, she said several of the issues had already been subjected to fact-checking and that related legal proceedings were pending before the courts.

Responding to allegations regarding land ownership in Guwahati, Chowdhury said her family had been landholders in the city for generations and claimed that official land records would support their position. She also alleged misuse of executive authority in ongoing land disputes, though she refrained from elaborating, citing pending litigation.

She said leaders in public office carry a responsibility to ensure factual accuracy in their statements, particularly when their remarks influence audiences beyond the State.

Chowdhury had contested the 2026 Assembly election from Guwahati Central on an Assam Jatiya Parishad ticket, where she was defeated by BJP candidate Vijay Kumar Gupta.