Netizens expressed dissatisfaction over the term 'Assam proper' asenvisaged by political analyst Dr. Noni Gopal Mahanta in a talk show of aregional news channel and said that he had misinterpreted it on the ground ofpolitical benefit.
The panelists of the show discussed various issues pertaining to CitizenshipAmendment Act, 2019 (CAA) and possible solution to the vexed issue confrontingthe whole state of Assam.
When Mahanta was asked about different options before Assam than hetalked about possible exclusion (the way it was done in certain parts ofNortheast and Assam) of certain cluster of districts of Assam which were termedas "Assam Proper".
Dr. Mahanta, who is also political adviser of Minister Dr. Himanta BiswaSarma, had his own political definition of 'Assam proper' which was illegal andunconstitutional. People flatly rejected the politically-motivated definitionof 'Assam proper' by Dr Mahanta.
After controversy, Mahanta issues clarification on his 'Assam Proper' remark saying that "Assam Proper" is not his term; it has been used by almost all historians of Assam like prof Amalendu Guha, Edward Gait, Prof HK Borpujari, prof SL Baruah and many other organisations like Assam Sarbojanik Sabha in 1905. One may look at "planter Raj to Swarj" by Amalendu Guha where in chapter two he gives a sub title—" Strange Bed-Fellows: Assam Proper and Sylhet". Prof Guha says—"The term 'Assam', which had originally stood for Assam proper- That is the erstwhile Ahom territory alone- and later for the whole of the Brahmaputra Valley that was under common Commissionership, was now given a wider signification….".
