Agony of Assam : Rich in tea, oil and coal and yet joblessness

Nirendra Dev *

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has visited Assam. He made an emotional speech in Guwahati after attending a mega dance show. He said he is brand ambassador of the state of Assam and other north eastern states. The BJP is in power in Assam since 2016. It also rules other states in north east either directly or through its alliance partners.

In 2026 Assam elections, the BJP will face the challenge of 10-year incumbency and hence the urgency is understood. The Congress remains a powerful alternative in Assam. The post of a Chief Minister is not symbolic.

It must articulate in the fullest sense, the basis of electoral philosophy and that’s why the capability and experience must always supersede all other considerations. Incumbent Chief Minister of Assam Himanta Biswa Sarma has certain qualities and also has limitations like everyone else.

A decade ago in 2016 the Lotus party created history when it ousted the Tarun Gogoi-led Congress ministry and gave the north eastern state the first BJP chief minister. But that honour was given to Sarbananda Sonowal. After 2021polls, the BJP changed its chief minister and the responsibility came to Himanta.

Politics is generally unpredictable, vulnerable and also dynamic enough in the scheme of things to understand that in Assam’s electoral battle – the BJP is today a strong force.

So far, so good. But the taste of the political power and popularity is in the electoral performance. Of course, the BJP is a dominant force in the state today and quite a lot infrastructure works have happened under the so-called Double Engine government(s). But there are challenges too.

Politically Assam is often divided into three categories. The Barak valley – Bengali dominated and Lower Assam and Upper Assam. People in Upper Assam have always felt neglected and thus remained anguished. And there are reasons for the same.

Assam's Margherita is a famous spot for coal. Digboi is world famous for oil and Doom Dooma is well known for tea gardens and tea business. Top of that Dibrugarh and Tinsukia are two commercial hubs.

However the twist in the tale is that despite big talks of the BJP these three pockets in Upper Assam have issues vis-a-vis development.The BJP also knows that the people could be angry because of the crisis of drinking water, growing joblessness and absence of new industrial units.

Businessman Panna Lal Gupto in Tinsukia says, “The state of Assam and especially people in Upper Assam are desperately in need of alternative job avenues for young people and good health centres in townships such as Digboi which is oil rich but lacks development”.

The coal business in Margherita experienced significant losses due to mine closures, illegal mining, and a decline in coal production. Some say that coal mafias are involved in illegal mining. The fact of the matter is that the permanent workers in the North Eastern Coalfields (NEC), a Coal India Limited (CIL) venture, were transferred to other locations or posted in various positions in Margherita itself when the mine closed.

The workers on contract had nowhere to go. Even in Doom Dooma, the tea business has suffered. Assam Company India Limited, formerly known as the Assam Tea Company was the first tea company in Assam set up by the colonial British in 1839. This oldest tea company of north eastern India having 14 big tea gardens across Assam, has been suffering a lot due to alleged mismanagement.

In Digboi, the citizens and former employees of the oil company are faced with multiple problems. Even the drinking water project started at a whopping cost of Rs 4168.80 lakh has not been made functional yet. Chief Minister Himanta has announced that Dibrugarh will be made the second capital of the state soon. This is of course linked to next year’s elections.

Mere announcement actually means nothing. Yet there is a political weightage in the announcement. The Dibrugarh region and the parliamentary constituency is the political Karma-bhoomi of Union Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and hence Himanta might have played a smart political card.

"The second capital announcement vis-a-vis Dibrugarh does not bother me. Nor does it excite.... My father used to say we lost our house in Dispur locality of Guwahati in the 1960s when Assam capital was brought from Shillong (now in Meghalaya) without doing any ground work," says Ajith Borah, a local resident at Chabua near Dibrugarh.

In 2024 parliamentary polls, the Congress had won three important seats in Assam out of 14. They were Dhubri, Nowgong and Jorhat. The Congress candidate Gaurav Gogoi's win in Jorhat was politically crucial. The victory margin was substantial - 1,44,393.

This victory in this Upper Assam segment meant a lot. Himanta had tried his best to humble Gogoi, who as the son of former Congress stalwart has a pan-Assam image. Gaurav Gogoi can actually take the battle to the BJP camp. That way the Congress party will not be an easy pushover in Assam politics in 2026.

“Our win in three important seats in 2024 Lok Sabha polls wherein voters from all segments of society have reposed faith in the Congress ideology shows that Gaurav Gogoi's arrival has happened in Assam politics,” says Rajesh Sethi, an AICC leader in the minority cell.

Therefore, a more recent controversy around Gaurav Gogoi’s wife is well understood, say Congress leaders.

Himanta Biswa Sarma has already said that Gaurav Gogoi's wife UK-born Elizabeth Colebourn will be probed over her alleged links with Pakistan’s ISI as well as for participating in election campaigns despite being a British citizen.

In Lower Assam elections will be linked to development issues and also the incumbency factor will come in. But to talk about electoral politics in Assam, one has to focus on an important feature of the state. This issue is much talked about but has not been addressed effectively.

In Assam, it is not a rocket science to assert that there are a huge number of Madrasas and several Muslim NGOs helping 'Bengali Muslims' directly or indirectly to find jobs, necessary government papers, residential proof certificates etc.

It’s in a way a case of calling spade a spade. Politics is also about giving it a democratic fight. The beauty of our democracy lies in the will of the people and the strength of the Indian constitution. In Tinsukia, a Congress leader said – “The BJP is nervous and hence will be talking more about issues like Love Jihad and beef eating”.

In the ultimate analysis, people are the masters. And time and again, political fate of the leaders and political parties depend on the courage and vigilance of the masses. The election process goes through a secret ballot. People of Assam will also in 2026 press the button according to their political liking and conscience.