CONSPICUOUS ABSENCE
The social awkwardness between Himanta Biswa Sarma and Sarbananda Sonowal is evident in public now. Sarma had unseated Sonowal as the Assam chief minister in May 2021, and the latter was awarded a berth in the Union cabinet. Though both leaders have been extremely gracious to each other, of late they are trying to maintain a social distance. On November 3, Sarma participated in the 75th anniversary of the Assam Medical College, located in Sonowal’s hometown Dibrugarh. While the Union minister was in Assam that day, he gave the event a miss despite an invite, and chose to attend the premiere of an Assamese film instead.