Latest news with #Assamese-speaking
Gulf Today
08-08-2025
- Politics
- Gulf Today
India to offer gun licences in volatile Bangladesh border areas
India's Assam state, bordering Muslim-majority Bangladesh, is to issue gun licences to "indigenous" residents, its Hindu nationalist leader has announced, a move raising concerns among the state's Muslims. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has previously warned that the Assamese-speaking population "face the threat of attacks from the Bangladesh side, and even in their own villages". The northeastern state of around 31 million people is riven by multiple ethnic, linguistic and religious fault-lines, and was troubled by several bloody clashes in past decades. Muslims make up roughly 35 percent of the population, most of them Bengali speaking, according to the most recent national census in 2011, with the rest largely Hindus. Sarma announced on Wednesday the introduction of a website "where indigenous people, who perceive a threat to their lives and reside in sensitive areas, can apply for arms licenses". India has otherwise strict gun control laws, and critics and opposition leaders condemned the move. "This will lead to gang violence and crimes based on personal vendettas," said opposition Congress lawmaker Gaurav Gogoi on social media platform X. "This is not governance, this is a dangerous step backwards towards lawlessness." Sarma is from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The move is part of a wider populist campaign by Sarma's BJP government backing the majority Assamese-speaking people, including large-scale eviction drives against what he has called "illegal foreigners or doubtful citizens". It is widely seen as targeting Muslims speaking Bengali -- the main language in neighbouring Bangladesh. But many ethnic Bengalis are Indian citizens, with roots in Assam long before the region that is now Bangladesh was carved out at the bloody end of British imperial rule in 1947. Assam was the first state to implement a controversial citizenship verification exercise in 2019, which excluded nearly two million people -- many of them Muslims. Tensions in Assam have grown in the past year since the overthrow of Bangladesh's autocratic government, once a close ally of Modi's BJP. Sarma has warned that "the indigenous people" in border districts "live in an atmosphere of insecurity due to the recent developments in Bangladesh". Agence France-Presse
The Sun
07-08-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
India to issue gun licences in Bangladesh border areas amid tensions
NEW DELHI: India's Assam state will issue gun licences to 'indigenous' residents near the Bangladesh border, its Hindu nationalist leader announced. The move has raised concerns among Assam's Muslim population, who make up roughly 35 percent of the state's 31 million people. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma claimed Assamese-speaking communities face threats from Bangladesh and within their own villages. A new website will allow indigenous residents in 'sensitive areas' to apply for arms licences, Sarma said on Wednesday. India maintains strict gun control laws, making the decision highly controversial. Opposition leaders condemned the move, warning it could fuel gang violence and personal vendettas. 'This is not governance, this is a dangerous step backwards towards lawlessness,' said Congress lawmaker Gaurav Gogoi on social media. Sarma belongs to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The policy aligns with the BJP's broader campaign supporting Assamese-speaking communities. Large-scale evictions targeting 'illegal foreigners or doubtful citizens' have been a key part of this agenda. Critics argue the measures disproportionately affect Bengali-speaking Muslims, many of whom are Indian citizens. Assam was the first state to implement a contentious citizenship verification exercise in 2019, excluding nearly two million people. Tensions have risen since Bangladesh's autocratic government, a BJP ally, was overthrown last year. Sarma warned that 'indigenous people' in border districts feel insecure due to recent developments in Bangladesh. – AFP
NDTV
14-05-2025
- Business
- NDTV
"Meet Ankita": Himanta Biswa Sarma Shares Video Of AI Anchor Reporting On Assam Cabinet Meeting
The AI era is here, and with it, AI news anchors are becoming a reality, transforming the way we consume news. India's AI news anchor landscape is also rapidly expanding, with numerous channels and organisations adopting digital presenters to deliver news, marking a significant shift in the country's media industry. On Wednesday, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma showcased Ankita, an AI-powered virtual anchor. The video highlighted Ankita delivering a detailed report on the latest updates from a recent Assam Cabinet meeting. Designed with remarkably human-like features, including a natural appearance and a fluent Assamese-speaking voice, Ankita presented the key decisions and discussions from the meeting with clarity and precision. "Meet Ankita, our AI anchor who brings to you the latest updates on the recent #AssamCabinet meeting. From approving the change of Dibrugarh Airport's name after Bhupen Hazarika to a time grant for tea garden workers, we took a host of decisions for the public," Mr Sarma wrote while sharing the video. Watch the video here: Meet Ankita, our AI anchor who brings to you the latest updates on the recent #AssamCabinet meeting. From approving change of Dibrugarh Airport's name after Bhupen Hazarika to one time grant for tea garden workers, we took a host of decisions for the public. Drop in your views! — Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) May 14, 2025 The video has sparked mixed reactions. While some social media users expressed their excitement about AI's innovation and potential benefits, others were concerned about job displacement for human news anchors and journalists. One user wrote, "Loving how tech is being used to keep citizens informed. Go Ankita." Another said, "Should have hired a real person at least this would have create a job opportunity." A third noted, "Ankita the AI anchor is such a cool concept – making governance updates so much more accessible." AI Anchors And Newsreaders These AI-driven avatars, powered by advanced natural language processing and realistic text-to-speech technologies, deliver news with human-like fluency, tone, and expression. Pioneered in countries like China, where Xinhua's AI anchor "Xin Xiaowei" debuted in 2018, the trend is spreading globally. AI anchors offer 24/7 availability, multilingual capabilities, and cost efficiency, eliminating the need for salaries or breaks. They can be customised to suit diverse audiences, adapting accents or appearances instantly. While AI anchors are unlikely to fully replace humans soon, their integration is reshaping the industry, blending technology with journalism and challenging traditional notions of news delivery in an evolving digital era.
