Guwahati: Assam’s intellectual, Dr Hiren Gohain has expressed concern over the ‘hate narrative’ of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sharma in the run up to the Assembly polls. In a chat with ETV Bharat, he has underlined that such statements have consequences and it is also against the Constitution. He is one of the petitioners to have approached Gauhati High Court seeking action against Sarma on the latter’s hate speech.
The run up to the Assam Assembly polls was marked by hate narratives, particularly around ‘Miyas’ (Muslims) and among the big wigs indulging in this was the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) chief ministerial candidate Sarma.
The polling for the 2026 Assembly polls was held on April 9 with a record around 85% voters exercising their right to franchise. The campaign was marked by a series of allegations and counter allegations between the ruling party and the opposition.
Sarma was found to be raking up the issue of Bangladeshi infiltrators and the changing demography in the districts of the state with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen’s (AIMIM) Asaduddin Owaisi countering the BJP narratives.
He showed an old photograph of Kunki’s mother eating meat and stated before the media, “The girl’s parents not only eat beef, they also show it to the public! The cow is our mother.”
Interacting with ETV Bharat on the communal poll narratives, Dr. Gohain pointed out, “An energetic and active politician, Himanta Biswa Sarma has resorted to making terrible hate speeches against a particular community of Assam. They are known as Miyas, which has become a pejorative term now.”
He expressed his concern over Sarma’s promises to harass the Miyas and disturb them in whatever way possible. “He said he will use all his power as Chief Minister to give them trouble. This is something that no responsible person must say without consequences. These statements have consequences and this is also against the Constitution,” underlined Dr. Gohain.
Taking cognizance of multiple petitions filed by leading intellectual Dr. Hiren Gohain and other concerned citizens of Assam seeking legal action against Sarma for ‘hate speech’, the Gauhati High Court issued a notice to the Assam CM on February 26. The next hearing in the matter is scheduled on April 21.
Talking about the High Court issuing a notice to Sarma, Dr. Gohain observed, “I at least expected that during the observation after postponing the verdict to April 21, they would have said something to restrain the Chief Minister. Nothing like that has been said. This disappointed me. I hope they will not let him off the hook without consequences.”
