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India Today
02-06-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Gaurav Gogoi vs Himanta Biswa Sarma: The new gambit
(NOTE: This article was originally published in the India Today issue dated June 9, 2025)It may have been a coronation waiting to happen, but when it came—on May 26, with a year to go for the 2026 Assam assembly election—it rang out like a call to a duel from the days of feudal chivalry. Gaurav Gogoi, like a prince who had the throne snatched from him, has got his chance for avengement. Elevated as state Congress president by the high command, his formal investiture sets the stage for a most intense political slug fest, for Gogoi will be in the ring against a very combative incumbent CM, Himanta Biswa Sarma of the BJP, the mutineer who felled his a classic set piece, meant to end a frustrating decade of eclipse for the Congress, marked by utter BJP dominance over a state it had made a fresh conquest of only in 2016. Part of it rests on legacy. The late Tarun Gogoi's 15-year stint as CM is often associated with Assam's fitful passage out of its old militancy-hit phase into a measure of stability and the package also offers a 'new, improved' version of his son, Gaurav, reimaged as the Grand Old Party's 'face of revival', 'a charismatic challenger'. What aids this is the rise in Gaurav's own stature since his decisive win in the 2024 Lok Sabha election, and his visibility—and audibility—as the party's deputy leader in the Lok Sabha thereafter. CM Himanta Sarma | Photo: ANI advertisementELECTORAL MATHThe Congress is also seeking to solve Assam's complex electoral math in its usual way. Three new working presidents represent key demographics: Jakir Hussain Sikdar (Bengali-origin Muslim), Roselina Tirkey ('tea garden' tribal) and Pradip Sarkar (Bengali Hindu). Gaurav is from the Ahom community, historically crucial to electoral success in the state. With him positioned as de facto CM candidate, the party is also sending a powerful message—that they're backing him to the hilt despite Sarma lobbing allegations of a 'Pakistani connection' at Gaurav's British wife Elizabeth Colburn. Sarma's campaign over the past few months has included claims that Elizabeth worked for Pakistani agencies and that Gaurav visited the country on ISI invitation. Gaurav has called it a 'C-grade Bollywood movie plot' and questioned Sarma's 'mental state' while offering a nuanced 2024 Lok Sabha election marked a definitive turning point in Gaurav Gogoi's political career and his rivalry with Sarma. Delimitation had eliminated the old Gogoi pocket borough of Kaliabor, forcing him to contest from Jorhat, where his prospects appeared slim. Sarma arrayed the entire state apparatus against him, turning it into a prestige battle. So, when Gogoi won by 144,000-plus votes, it was more than just another LS seat win for the Congress—it shattered Sarma's aura of electoral Within the state unit, there's a mix of enthusiasm and pragmatic acceptance, with veterans aware that Gogoi is their best bet at the top. But his feet aren't planted too solidly: the Congress had a scare show in the recent panchayat polls, not winning a single Zila Parishad seat in Jorhat, Gogoi's on this perilous turf that Gogoi stages his 2026 challenge. It's a clash of personalities. Also, a choice between two visions: Sarma's muscular, growth-focused approach vs Gogoi's social justice to India Today MagazineMust Watch
News18
29-05-2025
- Politics
- News18
'Our Armed Forces Made Terrorists Realise Sindoor's Power': PM Modi In Bengal
Last Updated: Speaking from "the land of Sindoor Khela", a Bengali Hindu ritual symbolizing marital sanctity, PM Modi highlighted the gravity of the recent attack in Pahalgam. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in an address in West Bengal, drew a stark contrast between the tradition of 'Sindoor Khela' and the brutal reality of terrorism, asserting the nation's unwavering resolve to combat it. Speaking from 'the land of Sindoor Khela," a Bengali Hindu ritual symbolizing marital sanctity, PM Modi highlighted the gravity of the recent attack in Pahalgam. 'It's necessary to speak on terrorism," PM Modi said, acknowledging the deep-seated anger among the people of West Bengal concerning the April 22nd terrorist attack which claimed 26 civilian lives. First Published:
Indian Express
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Congress sends message to Himanta Sarma, picks arch foe Gaurav Gogoi as Assam chief
Throwing down the gauntlet to Assam Chief Minister and BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma, the Congress Monday named Gaurav Gogoi as its state president. Sarma and Gogoi have a bitter past, and the CM has been engaged in a personal war of words with Gogoi for the past several months. The MP from Jorhat, Gogoi takes over a year ahead of the Assembly elections in Assam, and at a time when the party's fortunes are flagging. It won just three out of the 14 seats in Assam in last year's Lok Sabha elections; the high point for the party in the polls was Gogoi's win from Jorhat, after a contest in which Sarma vigorously campaigned against him. The Congress also lost all the five seats in key Assembly by-elections held last year as well as had a dismal showing in the recent panchayat elections. Apart from naming Gogoi as the PCC chief, the Congress appointed three working presidents – Sarukhetri MLA Jakir Hussain Sikdar, former Sarupathar MLA Roselina Tirkey, and Abhayapuri South MLA Pradip Sarkar. While Sikdar is a Bengali-origin Muslim, Tirkey is a tea tribe leader and Sarkar is a Bengali Hindu – all representing key voting populations in the state. The charge of the Campaign Committee in the state has been given to outgoing PCC chief Bhupen Kumar Borah, and the charge of the Coordination Committee to Leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia. The Congress named Nagaon MP Pradyut Bordoloi as its Manifesto Committee chairperson, and gave the charge of its Publicity Committee to Md Rakibul Hussain. In a post on X, Gogoi, 41, thanked the Congress top leadership for the appointment. 'It is a blessing to work with so many dedicated and inspiring senior leaders and workers in the Congress party in Assam. Their wisdom, experience and dedication to the party has taught me many things… Joi Ai Axom! Jai Hind!' he posted. While Saikia and Bordoloi were seen as hopefuls for the PCC chief post, a senior Congress leader from Assam said a large section of the party pushed for Gogoi to take over the reins in Assam. 'There is a perception among workers and those opposed to the BJP that he can take on Sarma and the party… Only time will tell whether he will prove to be a skilled organiser,' a leader said. However, he admitted, there could be a flip side: 'The crucial test for the party with this decision is how we counter the narrative that Sarma has been raking up about Gogoi's family. Because the BJP will double down on this.' Other Assam Congress leaders said the leadership change could boost the flagging morale in the party. 'It's true that the Congress is currently not in a good position and there is very little time for the elections. A lot of party workers are demoralised after the panchayat results, so they should get some oxygen to fight now,' a leader said. Listing the positives in favour of Gogoi, another leader said: 'One is his appeal to young voters, the other is that there is no stigma of corruption associated with him. Also, because of so many jumping ship over the years, people are suspicious about the loyalty and sincerity of many leaders. It's something that the Chief Minister has weaponized, suggesting that this or that leader might actually be working in collusion with the BJP. But the people of Assam believe Gaurav will stick to the Congress and his anti-BJP position.' A Congress leader from Assam told The Indian Express that the Assembly fight in Assam is set to become a one-on-one contest between the two arch rivals. 'The politics in the state and next year's campaign will be focused on Sarma vs Gogoi. Gogoi is quite influential in Upper Assam, which is a weak point for the Congress, while being crucial for Sarma and the BJP. Gogoi is quite popular personally and his elevation should help the party in the region,' said the leader. Old foes Sarma and Gogoi's rivalry goes back to when the former was in the Congress and hoped to take over the party's reins in the state. However, after Gaurav Gogoi actively entered politics under his father and Congress veteran Tarun Gogoi, and his profile began to rise in the party, Sarma made his exit, lashing out at 'despotic family centric politics'. Over the past few months, Sarma has accused Gogoi and his wife Elizabeth, who is of British origin, of links with the ISI. In February, he constituted an SIT to probe the matter. Gogoi has also accused Sarma and his wife Riniki Bhuyan Sarma of being involved in land grabbing and corruption in the state on several occasions. The Congress's Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha, Gogoi is seen as much valued by the central leadership. In August 2023, he had led the Congress's no-confidence motion against the Modi government. Sarma's attacks on him started not long after the 2024 Lok Sabha results when Gogoi won from Jorhat, defeating the sitting BJP MP by a huge margin of 1.44 lakh votes. Sarma had gone out of his way to ensure the defeat of Gogoi, who was believed to be on a weak wicket in Jorhat, having shifted there from Kaliabor, his family's pocket borough that he had represented twice in the past. After a delimitation exercise carried out in Assam as per the 2001 Census, ahead of the general elections, the Kaliabor constituency had been restructured significantly and renamed to Kaziranga.
News18
15-05-2025
- Politics
- News18
Bangladesh Hands Over Detained Indian Farmer To BSF, BJP Thanks PM Modi
Last Updated: Local sources say Ukil Burman and his wife had crossed the barbed wire fence with permission from the BSF to irrigate their farmland but he was 'abducted by 4-5 men' Ukil Burman, a farmer who was taken into custody by Bangladeshi authorities late in April, was released and handed over to the Border Security Force (BSF) on Wednesday night, close on the heels of Pakistan sending BSF jawan Purnam Shaw home. Burman's family in Sitalkuchi in West Bengal's Cooch Behar district had been anxiously awaiting his return for nearly a month. According to his wife, he was working in his paddy field near the India-Bangladesh border when he was abducted. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had instructed the Chief Secretary to pursue the matter through appropriate diplomatic channels. Local Member of Parliament Jagdish Basuniya confirmed that Burman had been held in a Bangladeshi jail. Speaking to News18, he said, 'From what we know, he was in jail in Bangladesh. It's good that he has now been released. We stood by his family throughout. He is our Rajbongshi brother." The incident took place in the border village of Paschim Sitalkuchi. Local sources say Burman and his wife, Sabya Bala Barman, had crossed the barbed wire fence with permission from the BSF to irrigate their farmland. Recalling the day of the incident, Sabya Bala said: 'Around 8am, we went across the fence to water the crops. Around noon, he left the irrigation pump near the fence and went further into the field, asking me to stay back. That's when I heard his cries. Four to five Bangladeshi men abducted him." Reacting to his release, BJP leader Amit Malviya thanked 'the Prime Minister and the Home Minister for their outstanding leadership". 'However, you may not have heard the opposition raising its voice for the release of Ukil Barman. That's because the Nehruvian ecosystem has long erased East Pakistan—now Bangladesh—from national discourse, conveniently overlooking the suffering of millions of Bengali Hindu refugees. But that narrative must change. It is time to refocus on West Bengal and reclaim the state's rich cultural heritage. The first step begins with ensuring Mamata Banerjee's ouster in 2026." First Published: May 15, 2025, 11:04 IST
India.com
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- India.com
Meet actress who had a Christian father, Hindu mother, uses a Muslim surname due to..., married twice, her name is....
This actress once one India a pageantry crown (Instagram) There lies a sense of beauty in the cultural diversity of a nation. When you come from a culturally diverse backgrounds, a person maybe entwined with varied perceptions and a unique worldview. This is the story of one such Bollywood actress who hails from Hyderabad and traces her roots with diverse cultures due to her parents. The actress was born to a Christian father who was a German graphics and industrial fair designer while her mother is a Bengali Hindu interior designer. The actress was crowed the Miss Asia Pacific International in 2000s. Today she strongly promotes eco-friendly sustenance to life and is one of the most renowned actress in the industry. Her name is Dia Mirza. Diverse Cultures and Personal Life Dia Mirza was born as Dia Handrich. Her father was Frank Handrich and her mother's name is Deepa. Her parents got separated when she was only 4-years-old and unfortunately her father passed away when she was 9-years-old. Mirza once shared how she never saw her parents fight in front of her but after their separation, she would spend weekends with her father. Later, her mother married Ahmed Mirza from Hyderabad. After the demise of her biological father, Mirza grew close to her stepfather who treated her well and established an organic relationship of friendship first. In an old interview with Bollywood Hungama she revealed why she changed her surname from Handrich to Mirza. 'We shared a beautiful relationship that started with friendship. As I grew older, I realised that I had spent so many years of my life with him. He became like a father to me. That's why, when I participated in Miss India, I adopted his surname.' Life gets extremally unfair at times. For Mirza, fate had a similar thing written. She lost her stepfather at the age of 23 leaving her shocked. She was miserable after losing two fathers in one lifetime. Career and Marriage Dia Mirza started as marketing executive then switched to modelling and did TV commercials for Lipton, Wall's Ice Cream, Emami etc. She bagged her debut film in 2001 with Gautham Menon directed Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein. Mirza is deep down for social welfare, peacekeeping and eco-sustainability. She was the United Nation Environment's Goodwill Ambassador for India in 2017 and later her term was further extended till 2022. In 2014, she got engaged to filmmaker Sahil Sangh but announced separation in 2019. In 2021 she married a businessman Vaibhav Rekhi and welcomed a baby boy Avyaan Azaad Rekhi. She also has step-daughter Samiara Rekhi. On the work front, she was last seen in Khushi Kapoor and Ibrahim Ali Khan starrer Nadaaniyan on Netflix.
