HINDUTVA’S NEW POSTER BOY

Hindu nationalism seems to have a new icon. Assam may traditionally not celebrate Navratri but its chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma bombarded social media with saffron-clad pictures of him doing Basanti Puja on all nine days. He also has a Gita post every morning now. Nor has he abandoned Assamese sub-nationalism. Recently, he lectured Bihu organising committees on how they should teach new generations about the dance form and not just stage events. Sarma did find himself in a spot when Union home minister Amit Shah said Hindi will be made compulsory in the northeast. “He never said our students should learn Hindi instead of Assamese,” Sarma said in defence. “He said they should know Hindi besides their mother tongue.” Well played, sir.