'Dignity-for-jobs' row: NE Mahila Congress chiefs to move national commission against CM
In a show of unity, the leaders announced the formation of the North East Women’s Forum to spearhead coordinated protests across the region
Assam Mahila Congress president Mira Borthakur leads the press conference
Guwahati, May 4: Women’s Congress presidents from seven northeastern states came together in Guwahati on Sunday to strongly condemn Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s alleged "dignity-for-jobs" remark.
In a joint press briefing, the leaders called his statement misogynistic, baseless, and deeply insulting to women across the region.
“This is a grave insult to all women. Tomorrow, we will file an FIR with both the National and State Women’s Commissions. Sarma must apologise,” said Mira Borthakur, president of the Assam Pradesh Mahila Congress.
Borthakur also criticised the Chief Minister for politicising the children of Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi.
“Children should be off-limits in politics. I hope his own children grow up to be better individuals than the example he is setting,” she said.
Slamming Sarma’s “selective amnesia”, Borthakur noted that he was part of the Congress from 2001 to 2015—the same period he now maligns.
“If job scams occurred then, why hasn’t the Biplab Sarma Committee report been made public? Is it because he, too, was involved?” she asked.
Meghalaya Pradesh Mahila Congress president Jopiyn Scott Shylla termed Sarma’s comment “a lie and a vile attack” on women’s dignity.
“For someone in a constitutional post to make such statements is dangerous and irresponsible,” she said.
Her counterpart from Tripura, Sarbani Chakravarty, said the insult extended beyond Assam. “By making such remarks, the Chief Minister has undermined the integrity of working women across India.”
Sarma Devi Mutum of Manipur echoed the demand for an immediate apology, while Nagaland’s Akumla Pogem and Mizoram’s Gogbinliani Diyani called out the BJP’s silence on key women’s issues—from the violence in Manipur to suspicious deaths like that of Junmoni Rabha and Indrani, a fund holder who allegedly died by suicide.
In a show of unity, the leaders announced the formation of the North East Women’s Forum to spearhead coordinated protests across the region.
Effigies of the Chief Minister will be burned in multiple districts as part of their campaign.
“This fight is bigger than politics. We are united in ensuring that women’s dignity is not trampled upon. Himanta Biswa Sarma must be held accountable,” Borthakur said.