Guwahati, March 16: Families from the Hindi-speaking community who have lived in Assam for more than 150 years have appealed to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to clarify the government’s position on their identity and rights in the state.
The appeal was made by the central executive committee of the All Assam Bhojpuri Parishad, led by its president Kailash Kumar Gupta. The organisation highlighted that thousands of Hindi-speaking families had migrated from states such as Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh during the British colonial period. According to the group, many of them arrived as Girmitiya labourers who worked in railway construction and tea plantations.
Over generations, these families settled permanently in Assam and became part of the region’s social and economic life. Gupta stated that the community has contributed to sectors such as the tea industry, trade, education and other aspects of the state’s development.
The organisation expressed concern over instances where members of the Hindi-speaking community are labelled as “Bohiragoto” or outsiders by certain groups. According to the appeal, many in the present generation have no connection with their ancestral villages outside the state and consider Assam both their motherland and their place of livelihood.
In its appeal, the organisation raised several questions to the state government, including whether people who have lived and been born in Assam for more than a century and a half should still be considered outsiders. The group also sought clarity on the government’s stance against remarks that it said undermine the dignity and self-respect of long-settled residents.
Gupta further questioned whether the Hindi-speaking community is viewed merely as a political vote bank or whether the government genuinely supports its rights and dignity. At the same time, the organisation emphasised that it respects Assamese culture and traditions, stating that all residents of the state have a responsibility to honour Assamese art, culture and language.
With Assembly elections approaching, the organisation has urged the Chief Minister to provide a clear and sensitive response on the matter. It argued that efforts to protect Assam’s identity, land and heritage should also recognise communities that have lived in the state for generations and regard it as their permanent home.
