Assam’s growth tied to Barak-Brahmaputra unity, says CM in Cachar
Sarma addressed three public meetings in Barak valley ahead of the upcoming Panchayat polls, on Saturday;
Chief Minister Sarma at Hatichora in Cachar district on Saturday. (Photo:@himantabiswa/X)
Silchar, April 26: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s campaign in the Barak Valley concluded with a public meeting at Hatichora in Cachar district on Saturday — the third such event of the day after stops at Sribhumi and Hailakandi.
Addressing a gathering at a playground in the Borkhola constituency, the Chief Minister presented a developmental pitch to woo voters, emphasising that "Assam cannot develop without the development of Barak Valley."
"Today's Assam is well and truly forging ahead towards becoming one of the best states in the country, and Barak Valley has an integral role to play in this progress," he said.
Sarma reiterated his vision of bringing the people of the Barak and Brahmaputra Valleys closer together, noting that efforts were already underway to achieve this goal.
"I am the only Chief Minister daring to dream of reducing the gaps and distances — both physical and emotional — between the people of the two valleys. I believe that the farther we are from each other, the more the distances grow in our minds," he said.
Touching upon the perceived Assam-Bengali divide, he advocated development as the key to ushering in a new era of unity.
"Conflicts among Assamese-speaking, Bengali-speaking, or Hindi-speaking communities in the state are things of the past. Today, it is a different Assam — a progressive Assam," he stressed.
Listing significant upcoming infrastructure projects for the region, Sarma highlighted the Rs 25,000-crore Barapani-Panchgram high-speed roadway, the Silchar-Saurashtra Mahasadak, and the Rs 90-crore bridge at Madhuraghat, among others.
"Once the road network project is completed, residents of southern Assam will be able to reach the state capital with ease, just as people from the rest of Assam will be able to travel comfortably to the Barak Valley," he said.
The Chief Minister also sought the people’s support for candidates fielded by the BJP and its ally, the Asom Gana Parishad, in the forthcoming panchayat elections.
