Written by Sukrita BaruahGuwahati | December 11, 2025 04:41 AM IST 2 min readAssam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa SarmaInvoking the Assam Agitation of 1979-1985, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday called on Assamese people not to sell land or offer employment to “unfamiliar people” — a term he has used on several occasions to refer to Bengali-origin Muslims.Sarma was speaking at the newly unveiled ‘Swahid Smarak’ — a memorial dedicated by the state government to “860 martyrs of the Assam Movement”, referring to agitation participants who died during the period — on December 10, observed as Swahid Divas (Martyrs’ Day). The 1983 violence was recently in focus after the government circulated the official Tewary commission report and the unofficial Mehta commission report in the Winter Session of the Assembly.Referring to these, he said: “This time we had circulated the Tewary commission report and the Mehta commission report in the vidhan sabha. Page after page, these reports say how atrocities were committed against Assamese people… Today, the unfamiliar people’s population is going on increasing in Assam… Our jati will have to make a resolution today that no matter how much trouble it might cost the family, we will not sell even one piece of land to unfamiliar people…”Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:AssamHimanta Biswa SarmaAdvertisementTop StoriesAdvertisementLoading Taboola...Advertisement