The renaming of Karimganj district in Assam has sparked a heated debate, with the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) general secretary Rafiqul Islam launching a scathing attack on Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. Islam’s remarks came after Sarma’s announcement that the district would be renamed as Sribhumi, a name attributed to poet Rabindranath Tagore over a century ago. Sarma, who led the BJP’s recent election campaign in Jharkhand, framed the change as a fulfilment of a long-standing demand, emphasizing the region’s connection to Maa Lakshmi.
However, Islam’s criticism revolves around the Chief Minister’s suggestion that the name ‘Karimganj’ had no meaning in Assamese or Bengali dictionaries. “Karimganj is a historical name,” Islam retorted, highlighting the district’s connection to the 1947 Partition and the pride its residents felt for keeping the region with India despite the division of Sylhet into Pakistan.
Islam also questioned the rationale behind renaming a place tied to both history and identity. He stressed that ‘Karim’—a part of the district’s original name—had deep roots in the cultural context, symbolizing love and affection. The renaming of Karimganj, Islam suggested, was not just an issue of semantics but also one of Muslim identity, hinting that the BJP-led government was trying to erase any traces of Islam from the region’s name.
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Adding fuel to the fire, Islam criticized Sarma for his prolonged absence from Assam, accusing him of prioritizing the BJP’s election efforts in Jharkhand over his duties as the state’s Chief Minister. “It’s difficult to say he is the Chief Minister of Assam,” Islam remarked, calling Sarma’s leadership into question.
The controversy also revolves around the larger question of how places in Assam should be named—whether they should reflect historical figures, religious influences, or the evolving identity of modern Assam. Sarma, on his part, defended the change by suggesting that the district should not be named after an “unknown person,” thus questioning the continued relevance of ‘Karimganj.’
As the political storm over Karimganj’s renaming intensifies, it highlights a broader struggle in Assam over religious, cultural, and historical identities. While the renaming of the district has been positioned as a tribute to Tagore, for the AIUDF and many local residents, it raises questions about the changing dynamics of Assam’s identity politics.
This unfolding drama between Sarma and Islam is likely to shape Assam’s political discourse as it pits historical legacy against modern political aspirations.
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