In a rare moment 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 flood-affected areas of Sivasagar district. Gogoi, one of the strongest critics of the BJP-led Assam government and a long-time political rival of the Chief Minister, said Sarma’s visit was unlike any he had seen before. He claimed it was the first time an Assam chief minister had entered severely flooded areas on foot and surveyed the situation without relying on heavy machinery or specially arranged routes. Speaking to reporters after accompanying the Chief Minister during the visit, Gogoi said he was thankful that he could show Sarma the actual condition of flood-hit villages without any “red-carpet arrangements.”
“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. Describing the visit as a historic moment for Sivasagar, Gogoi said he personally guided the Chief Minister through the flooded area. “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, the Chief Minister’s decision to walk through the inundated areas allowed him to witness the extent of the damage and understand the hardships faced by residents living in flood-hit localities.
“This happened in Sivasagar, and for me, it is history that the Assam Chief Minister walked through waist-deep floodwater during the floods,” he said.Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has been touring several flood-affected areas in Upper Assam, particularly Sivasagar and Charaideo districts, where recent flooding has damaged houses, roads, agricultural fields and other public infrastructure. During the visits, he interacted with affected families, inspected relief camps and reviewed the ongoing relief measures. He also assured residents that the state government would extend all necessary support for relief, rehabilitation and recovery in the affected areas.
