"I am the brand ambassador of Assam and the northeastern culture," says PM Modi .... Election mood sets in Assam ... where BJP needs to fight 10 years of incumbency

"There was a time when Assam and the Northeast were neglected in terms of development and culture. However, now I've become the brand ambassador of Assam and the northeastern culture. I'm the first prime minister to have stayed in Kaziranga National Park and promoted its biodiversity to the world," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in Guwahati.  

He was speaking in front of a gathering of thousands of people at the Jhumoir Binandini at Sarusajai Stadium in Guwahati on Monday, Feb 24th.

The Jhumoir Binandini, billed as the largest folk dance performance, featured 8,800 Jhumur dancers from the tea garden community dancing to the beat of traditional instruments like dhol, madal, dhamasa and bamboo flute.

The Prime Minister said that a few months ago, the Assamese language was granted the status of a classical language, a recognition that the people of Assam had been waiting for decades. 

Charaideo Maidam has also been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, a significant achievement attributed to the efforts of the BJP government. 

He mentioned legendary Ahom General Bir Lachit Barphukan, who had defended Assamese culture and identity against the Mughals. The great celebrations of the 400th birth anniversary of the legendary general in New Delhi highlighted his contributions. 

"There is a reverberating atmosphere filled with energy, enthusiasm, excitement, etc. now at this event that reflects the fragrance and beauty of the tea gardens. Who else can know the fragrance and colour of tea better than a chaiwala? 

The entire nation is waiting to see and appreciate this dance, let alone Assam," Modi said. 

Enumerating the measures that the Assam government has taken for the welfare of tea tribes, the Prime Minister expressed his confidence that the development of the tea industry and its workers will drive the overall growth of Assam and elevate the Northeast to new heights.

Earlier, in his welcome address, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, "It's our pride that this is the Prime Minister's first visit to Assam in his third term at the PMO. 

As the Prime Minister, he gave Assam three major gifts: the UNESCO World Heritage Site tag for Charaideo Maidam, the Classical language status of the Assamese language, and the new urea unit at Naamrup. 

We hope we will continue to get such gifts from him in the future."

On the Jhumoir Binandini, the Chief Minister said, "It's our gratitude to the tea tribes for their contribution to the industry and culture of Assam in the past 200 years. 

The tea tribes have blended themselves with the Assamese ethnicity and culture. Jhumur is the best instance of the Assamese culture. I believe that Jhumur has its origin in Assam, not in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, etc."

Heads of missions of over 50 countries, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Assam Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha, and others were present at the function.