Introduction
Himanta Biswa Sarma, Born on February 1, 1969, has served as Assam's Chief Minister since 2021. He was the convenor of NEDA after leaving the Indian National Congress and joining the Bharatiya Janata Party in 2015. Since 2001, he has been elected as an MLA from Jalukbari five times.
Early life and education
Himanta Biswa Sarma, who was born in Jorhat, Assam, on February 1, 1969, grew up in Guwahati and is of Assamese descent. He has two kids with Riniki Bhuyan Sarma, whom he married in 2001. Then he received his education at Kamrup Academy and Cotton University, where he served as the Student Union's general secretary. He also has a law degree, a political science BA and MA, and a political science PhD from Gauhati University. He was a lawyer before he went into politics.
Political career
Indian National Congress
In 2001, Himanta Biswa Sarma defeated Bhrigu Kumar Phukan to win a seat from Jalukbari in the Assam Legislative Assembly. He was re-elected in 2006 and 2011 and held important positions in the fields of education, finance, health, and agriculture. As the Health Minister, he oversaw the founding of medical colleges at Jorhat, Barpeta, and Tezpur and launched plans for the construction of five more in Assam.
Bharatiya Janata Party
Himanta Biswa Sarma resigned from all positions on July 21, 2014, and from the Assam Assembly on September 15, 2015, following political disagreements with former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi. On August 23, 2015, he became Convener of the Election Management Committee after joining the Bharatiya Janata Party. Sarma was sworn in as a Cabinet Minister in the Sonowal administration in May 2016, having won a fourth term from Jalukbari. He was in charge of the portfolios of finance, health, and education.
Sports administrator
The Badminton Association of India unanimously elected Himanta Biswa Sarma as its president on April 23, 2017, and he was re-elected for a second term on March 25, 2022. In addition, he was the Assam Cricket Association's longest-serving vice president from 2002 to 2016 and its president since June 2016.
Chief Minister of Assam
Appointment
In order to discuss the establishment of the new administration, BJP leaders J.P. Nadda and Amit Shah met with Himanta Biswa Sarma and departing Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on May 8, 2021. On May 9, Sonowal tendered her resignation and Sarma emerged as the consensus choice to lead the BJP parliamentary. Governor Jagadish Mukhi swore in Sarma on May 10 as the 15th Chief Minister of Assam, replacing Sonowal.
Tenure
Himanta Biswa Sarma advocated for a new law against illicit livestock smuggling in June 2021 and urged the Muslim community to adopt family planning. In order to help with land and property concerns, he established Mission Basundhara. He also announced the conversion of 740 state-funded madrasas into ordinary schools. During his administration, there was a rise in extrajudicial executions, which he approved of, and madrasas connected to suspected terrorist activity were demolished.
Boundary dispute with Mizoram
A border issue led to a police clash between Assam and Mizoram on July 26, 2021, which left six people dead and numerous others injured. Himanta Biswa Sarma and Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga had decided to settle the dispute amicably just two days earlier. Assam issued the first travel advise of its sort in independent India on July 29, following the clash, but withdrew it the next day. Additionally, the Assam government demanded more thorough drug tests on cars coming from Mizoram.
Controversy
Falsely accused Dhubri MP's supporter as Pakistan supporter
Himanta Biswa Sarma asserted in November 2020 that at the airport in Silchar, followers of AIUDF Chief Badruddin Ajmal were yelling pro-Pakistanic slogans. News Live, which is owned by Sarma's spouse, as well as other media sources, reported this. But when fact-checkers revealed that Sarma's slogans were political rather than pro-Pakistani, Facebook labeled his posts as false information. Since then, Guwahati Police have launched an inquiry.
Claimed no need for mask
Despite India experiencing a second wave of the virus, Himanta Biswa Sarma announced in April 2021 that masks were no longer necessary in Assam and that the state had no COVID-19 cases.
Made derogatory remarks against Rahul Gandhi
At a rally in Uttarakhand on February 11, 2022, Himanta Biswa Sarma made a contentious comment regarding Rahul Gandhi. Telangana Chief Minister KCR criticized Sarma, and TPCC president Revanth Reddy filed a police case as a result. Sections 504 and 505(2) of the IPC were cited in the complaint, which charged Sarma with using offensive words. Reddy demanded that Sarma be dismissed as chief minister. The Uttarakhand High Court summoned Sarma on September 19, 2023, in response to his remarks.
In the Manabendra Sarma case, Himanta Biswa Sarma was found not guilty. An advocate from Delhi has filed a complaint with the NHRC accusing the Assam police of going on a “encounter spree” after Sarma said that it is legal for police to shoot suspected criminals in the legs.
Tweet on Obama
Himanta Biswa Sarma used an Islamophobic slur during Prime Minister Modi's June 2023 visit to the United States, referring to “Hussain Obama” in reaction to remarks made by the previous president regarding Muslims in India. This provoked a great deal of discussion in India and around the world.
Hate Speech against Bengali-Muslim Community
A police complaint was made in July 2023 by an Independent member of the Rajya Sabha against Himanta Biswa Sarma, the Chief Minister of Assam, for allegedly making “hate speech” against the ‘Miya' people. Sarma stirred up uproar with his remarks on expensive vegetables and Miya sellers. He also called for the clearing of pavements and the promotion of Assamese enterprises.
Hate Speech against Congress Leaders
At a Madhya Pradesh rally on September 19, Himanta Biswa Sarma urged Kamal Nath to burn 10, Janpath as evidence of his Hindu identity. This prompted Assam's Leader of Opposition, Debabrata Saikia, to file a First Information Report (FIR) against Sarma for hate speech.
Awards
The Singaporean government awarded Himanta Biswa Sarma the Lee Kuan Yew Exchange Fellowship in September 2023 in recognition of his outstanding public work.