Guwahati: Rajya Sabha MP from Assam and veteran journalist Ajit Kumar Bhuyan has sharply criticised Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for claiming to be the first Assamese to attend the World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting at Davos, Switzerland, calling the assertion misleading and politically motivated.
In a sharply worded statement, Bhuyan said the global economic summit—currently underway in Davos—has drawn worldwide attention due to its influence on global economic policymaking. However, he alleged that excessive publicity surrounding the Chief Minister’s participation has overshadowed the achievement of a young Assamese entrepreneur, Drishti Medhi, who has also taken part in the forum.
Bhuyan said that Medhi’s participation was not the result of any official delegation or government backing but was earned purely through her entrepreneurial skills and competence.
“Suppressing her achievement amid Chief Minister-centric publicity is not just unfortunate, it borders on a deliberate attempt to erase her contribution,” he said.
The Rajya Sabha MP termed it “deeply shameful” that while the Chief Minister was projecting himself as the first Assamese at Davos, the fact that Medhi was the first Assamese to participate in the summit was being ignored.
Pointing out that several Indian states—including at least ten—have sent Chief Ministers, Deputy Chief Ministers, or official representatives to the WEF, Bhuyan said Sarma’s presence at Davos was part of an institutional opportunity extended to state governments.
“It is not a personal milestone but a government-facilitated participation,” he noted.
Bhuyan further remarked that traditionally the Davos summit saw participation from the Prime Minister, Union government representatives, and delegations from economic and commercial institutions, with state-level participation becoming more common in recent years.
Calling for a shift in focus, Bhuyan said Assam should take pride in entrepreneurs like Drishti Medhi, who have earned recognition on global platforms through merit.
He also accused the Chief Minister of repeatedly making exaggerated and misleading claims to project himself as “first” and “best” on multiple fronts.