On June 13, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma did what most leaders hesitate to do. After visiting Dhubri, a Muslim-majority border town rocked by back-to-back temple desecration incidents, he issued shoot-at-sight orders against extremists.
What triggered this? Two days after Bakri Eid, cow heads were found dumped in front of a Hanuman temple. A peace committee was formed, and things briefly calmed down.
Then, two days later, another cow head was discovered—this time with something even more sinister: three posters from a group called “Nabin Bangla”, openly demanding the annexation of Dhubri to Bangladesh.
These posters weren’t just random posters; they were pasted even on Indian Army infrastructure, a brazen display of Islamist provocation and territorial threat. Soon after, stone-pelting broke out in various parts of the district.
What began as sacrilege turned into a full-blown secessionist provocation
CM Himanta Biswa Sarma didn’t hesitate:
“I am heading to the Hanuman temple to inspect the spot where the cow head was dumped. This will not be allowed to happen again. I will stay in the temple at night if necessary. We will not allow Dhubri to be destroyed.”
“Next year, I will come here and stay the night of Bakri Eid at the Goddess Kali temple. The situation is absolutely unacceptable. Things were different in the past, not anymore.”
That is a Chief Minister who refuses to be held hostage by vote banks or violent mobs.
Within 24 hours, 38 people were arrested, security forces were deployed, and anti-smuggling crackdowns expanded. From stone pelters to cow smugglers, Dhubri’s radical fringe is now under the scanner. The government has also traced the source of Nabin Bangla posters and is investigating links to cross-border handlers.
The Battle Is for More Than Law
Dhubri is not a one-off. It’s a mirror of Assam’s wider challenge: illegal immigration, cultural aggression, and targeted encroachment. For decades, Hindus in districts like Barpeta and Dhubri have been pushed to the margins, both demographically and spiritually.
But under Himanta Biswa Sarma, Assam has stopped apologising for its identity.
Case in point: the government is now reclaiming over 15,000 bighas of land illegally occupied around 303 Satras (Vaishnav monasteries). The CM called it an “assault on Assam’s culture and identity” and has launched a full-scale drive under Mission Basundhara 3.0 to grant pattas, digitise land, and evict illegal settlers.
He didn’t mince words:
“Satras are not just monasteries, they are the heart of our heritage.”
“We are fully committed to saving our identity and culture. We will reclaim every Satra.”
A permanent Satra Aayog is being formed with administrative and financial powers to protect these institutions. This is cultural governance in action, not tokenism.
A Border State That Doesn’t Compromise
Assam shares a long, porous border with Bangladesh. Under Congress and other governments, infiltration became routine, settlements were tolerated, and radical networks flourished. But now, the tone has changed.
Over 330 infiltrators have been pushed back recently, and enforcement under the 1950 Immigration Expulsion Act has intensified. Unlike West Bengal, where illegal immigration is appeased for votes, Assam is enforcing the law.
The message is clear: cultural desecration, secessionist propaganda, or demographic manipulation will be met with state power, not platitudes.
Final Word: Assam Is India’s Wake-Up Call
In a nation often paralysed by political correctness, Assam is showing how to lead with clarity and conviction. Himanta Biswa Sarma’s actions in Dhubri should not be viewed in isolation. They are part of a wider National pushback against decades of encroachment, spiritual, physical, and ideological.
From shoot-at-sight orders to reclaiming sacred land, Assam is drawing the Lakshman Rekha. And India should take note.