In a rare gesture that crossed political lines, Raijor Dal president and Sivasagar MLA Akhil Gogoi praised Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for personally walking through waist-deep floodwaters to assess the situation in the worst-affected parts of the district.
Gogoi, a prominent critic of the BJP-led Assam government and one of Sarma’s strongest political opponents, described the Chief Minister’s visit as a historic moment. He claimed he had never before seen an Assam Chief Minister personally walk barefoot through such severely inundated areas during a flood.
Speaking to reporters after accompanying Sarma during his visit, Gogoi said he was glad he could show the Chief Minister the actual conditions faced by residents without any “red-carpet arrangements” or relying on heavy machinery.
“This will be the first time in the history of Assam that a chief minister surveyed a flooded area while heading towards Phuleshwari School, which was inundated up to the waist, walking barefoot,” Gogoi said.
“I am grateful that I was able to show him the real situation in the district as it is—not through a red carpet or while riding on a JCB,” he added.
Gogoi said he held Sarma’s hand and guided him through the waist-deep water, calling the episode an unprecedented moment for Sivasagar.
“Today, I held the Assam Chief Minister’s hand and made him walk through waist-deep floodwater. He is a very powerful man and an expert. I have not seen any chief minister till date who can move through water like this. I have to give him credit,” the Raijor Dal leader said.
According to Gogoi, Sarma’s decision to enter the flooded area on foot allowed him to directly witness the scale of destruction and understand the difficulties being faced by residents.
“This happened in Sivasagar, and for me, it is history that the Assam Chief Minister walked through waist-deep floodwater during the floods,” Gogoi said.
Sarma has been touring flood-hit areas of Upper Assam, particularly Sivasagar and Charaideo districts, where the recent floods caused extensive damage to homes, roads, agricultural land and livelihoods.
During his visits, the Chief Minister has interacted with affected families, inspected relief camps and assured residents that the government would extend assistance for rehabilitation and recovery.
