Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma attended the 57th Sammelan Divas of Assam Gorkha Sammelan held in Garpal, Sonitpur district on Friday.

During his address at the event, he praised the role of Assam Gorkha Sammelan as the "torch-bearer of inalienable rights of the Gorkhas of Assam as sons-of-the-soil."

Sarma highlighted the efforts made by the organization towards the upliftment of the Gorkha community in Assam since its inception. He also lauded the current dispensation in the state for putting an end to the harassment of Gorkhas in the name of identifying foreigners.

The Chief Minister further spoke about several initiatives aimed at the socio-economic empowerment of the community members, such as conferring "protected class" status to Gorkhas.

He announced that the Assam Gorkha Sammelan would now have the authority to issue Other Backward Classes (OBC) certificates to eligible members of the community.

In addition, Sarma stated that dedicated portals would be set up to issue "Gorkha certificates" to help Gorkha youths in the state enroll in the Indian armed forces. He emphasized that the Gorkhas are an integral part of the greater Assamese society.

Sarma also mentioned the sincere efforts made by his government since taking over the reins of the state in 2021 to fulfill the hopes and aspirations of the Gorkha community in Assam.

The announcement by the Chief Minister has been welcomed by the Gorkha community in the state, who has been seeking better representation and empowerment for a long time. This move is seen as a significant step towards recognizing and addressing the issues faced by the Gorkhas in Assam.