2023: A resurgent year in Assam’s legacy

“This is unforgettable, this is wonderful, this is phenomenal…..this is Assam!!”.

These praises from PM Modi’s invigorating address to an audience exceeding fifteen thousand people packed at the Sarusajai Stadium encapsulates a tale of resurgence. 

On the 14th of April, 2023, the nation witnessed the might of the Northeastern milieu when Assam delivered an impeccable spectacle on the occasion of Bohag Bihu. 

Accentuated by Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma’s claim of a cultural awakening, the long-held pursuit of whole-heartedly endorsing the vibrancy of Northeastern India came to life on this day. 

A visual treat, the sights of the previous year’s Bohag Bihu celebrations entailed bestowing two Guinness World Records upon the Assamese people. A staggering 11,304 Bihuwotis (female Bihu dancers) and 2548 Dhuliyas (males beating dhols) rejoiced in unison featuring men beating their drums in sync with the ethnic dance moves performed by women adorned with the traditional Bihu Mekhela Sador.

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The sheer scale of this cultural exhibition has undoubtedly made its presence felt across the nation and to some extent even globally. In a Colosseum-like grandeur, the Sarusajai Stadium hosted crowds from across the state while saving the best seat for the one and only - PM Narendra Modi. 

This was preceded by the inaugural visit to the newly built AIIMS in Guwahati, the virtual inauguration of three medical colleges in Nalbari, Nagaon, and Kokrajhar, laying the foundation stone of the Assam Advanced Healthcare Innovation Institute, and the distribution of 1.10 crore Ayushman Health subsidiary cards to beneficiaries, perhaps PM Modi’s visit couldn't have been any more momentous. 

Might I remind you that the 400th birth anniversary of Bir Lachit Borphukan was celebrated in a similar fashion in New Delhi in 2022 and there too we saw the PM grace the event along with the Union Home Minister. Assam’s global acclaim shall further improve once the historic Chairaideo Maidams is declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in the coming days along with the unveiling of the tallest statue of Bir Lachit Borphukan in Jorhat.

What has precipitated out of this multi-pronged strategy is the idea that Assam or the NER shall no longer be shunned from the national spotlight. The national spotlight presently expounded on the lines of ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat’ has fared to pay dividends for diverse ethnicities that suffered from lacklustre cultural engagement in the past decade.

On the socio-political front, the past year we bore witness to the process of delimitation materializing in which the Election Commission of India fulfilled a historical due owed to the Assam Accord. Clause 6 of the Assam Accord envisions implementing constitutional safeguards that are pertinent to protect, preserve, and promote the social, cultural, and linguistic identity and heritage of the sons of the soil. 

Nevertheless, delimitation was also seen as a timely response to the report produced by the committee on Assamese identity headed by Just. (retd) Biplab Sarma. 

The report categorically recommended undertaking delimitation based on the 2001 census as a means to administer political justice and safeguard the interests of indigenous communities. 

Outlined in the press conference presided over by the CM on the first day of 2024, Assam’s redrawn electoral configuration will ensure that political power rests with the descendants of communities that have thrived for the last 200-300 years in this very state. Given the countless lives sacrificed and vociferous demonstrations made to that effect, perhaps representative adjustments such as delimitation were long overdue.

In the backdrop of a region infamously marred with militancy and secessionist elements, 2023 will be etched as a period that ushered in peace and reconciliation. Tribal militancy came to an end in Assam when the Dimasa National Liberation Army entered into a MoU with the Government of Assam paving the way for democratization in conflict-ridden areas within the state.

Today no active militant groups are operating within Assam. Eleven peace accords have been signed till now and over 8000 insurgents have laid down their arms in order to join the mainstream. 

Moreover, while the draconian Armed Forces Special Protection Act (AFSPA) is being met with its demise in several Northeastern states, in Assam it has receded to a large extent and the state government has pledged to have it completely withdrawn very soon.

On 29th December 2023, the Centre and the Assam government took the reconciliation process even further by securing a tripartite peace deal with the ULFA pro-talks faction. It is evident that delimitation and other legislative safeguards in the favour of indigenous communities have emboldened the peace process and have made militant outfits restore their faith in democratic mediation.
 
In view of economic advances, Assam’s per capita income has exponentially improved from Rs.41,142 in FY 2011-12 to Rs.1,18,504 in FY 2022-23 as per recent statistics published by the Union Finance Ministry. Boasting an annual growth rate of 11.77% (as per data available from CMIE), with a per capita income of Rs 60,817 in 2015-16 to an increase of approximately 95% in 2022-23. In recent years Assam’s Compounded Annual Growth Rate(CAGR) has been higher than the national average of 9.3% in terms of growth in per capita income. 

As such, Assam ranked fifth, is the only northeastern state that is among the top 10 fastest-growing states in terms of per capita income in India as per CMIE. Looking beyond such data, we shall find that this upward economic trajectory is indicative of broader policy measures previously cited. As opposed to a decade ago when bandhs and strikes halted economic activity, today’s investor confidence in Assam seems to be the outcome of decisive governmental intervention in making Assam economically viable for investors. 

Owing to the customized incentive-based Industrial and Investment Policy of Assam (Amendment), 2023, in the past year, Assam garnered a record investment of Rs.11,753.7 crore aimed at producing 10,000 jobs. Perhaps the investment of 778 crore by PepsiCo. to build a greenfield plant in Nalbari projected to benefit 5000 farmers supplying 50,000 tonnes of potatoes is a testament to that.

On a conclusive note, 2023 was the manifestation of Assam’s fire in the belly. Assam’s legacy is one that enshrines resilience and preservation. 

An initiative such as Amrit Brikshya Andolan that got the public to plant over 1 crore seedlings in a single day is a glimpse of what good governance coupled with public stakeholdership can achieve. May my optimism persevere when, in the chambers of the brand new legislative assembly, leaders get onto scripting yet another landmark year.