Assam Slams ‘Bihuna’ Error, Ministry of Culture Issues Apology

A social media post by the Ministry of Culture has triggered criticism in Assam after it misspelt Husori and Bihu on its official Facebook page.

The now-deleted post, framed as a quiz question, asked: “Husari and Bihuna are traditional folk dance forms of which state?” It also offered a clue describing a tea-producing state. While the intended answer was Assam, the spellings, “Husari” instead of Husori and “Bihuna” instead of Bihu, immediately caught the attention of social media users, many of whom described the error as careless and insensitive.

Within hours, the comment section of the post was flooded with reactions. Netizens demanded a correction and urged the Ministry to exercise greater caution while representing regional cultures. Several users expressed disappointment that a central government body entrusted with preserving and promoting India’s heritage could commit such a basic mistake.

Noted filmmaker and cultural commentator Utpal Borpujari was among those who publicly criticised the lapse. He said that official social media handlers must verify facts before publishing content, especially when dealing with sensitive cultural subjects. According to him, such avoidable errors create unnecessary controversy and risk spreading misinformation.

Following the backlash, the Ministry of Culture issued a public apology. In a statement, it said: “We sincerely apologise for the error in our earlier post where ‘Bihunas’ was mistakenly written as ‘Bihuna.’ We deeply regret the mistake. We hold India’s rich cultural traditions in the highest respect. The post has been removed, and we are taking greater care to ensure such errors do not occur in the future.”

In an era where information travels fas,t and public scrutiny is constant, accuracy is not optional; it is essential.

Also Read: Assam Netizens React as Govt Gets Bihu Name Wrong