Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah on Friday addressed the 10th Mising Youth Festival in Dhemaji, Assam. Assam Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and several other dignitaries were present on the occasion.
Addressing the gathering, Shah said that the Mising Youth Festival has shown a clear direction to tribes across the country. He stated that the protection of rights, culture, language, literature, dance and music is not achieved through weapons, but through cultural unity and such youth festivals. He added that India’s culture is a blend of many cultures, and the Mising culture is an integral part of it.
The Home Minister said that the Donyi-Polo tradition of the Mising community, which is based on nature worship, teaches that worshipping nature is equivalent to worshipping God. He said that this tradition not only brings recognition to Assam and Arunachal Pradesh but also to India at the global level.
The Home Minister said that in the past, several tribes struggled to protect their culture while opposition governments attempted to suppress them. He informed that the interlocutor appointed by the Ministry of Home Affairs will work towards resolving the issues of the community. He reiterated that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Government of India believes that every culture, language and tradition has an equal right to exist.
Highlighting infrastructure development, Shah said that the long-pending Bogibeel Bridge, stalled for years, was completed within four years under the Modi government. He credited the hard work of Mising worker brothers and sisters for the completion of the bridge, calling it a symbol of New India’s vision.
The Home Minister described the Mising society as the heartbeat of the Brahmaputra Valley and said that its culture is the vibrant identity of Assam and India. He recalled the supreme sacrifices made by the Mising community in India’s freedom struggle and in defending the nation. He also mentioned the community’s role in living in harmony with nature, citing Ali-Aye-Ligang as an example of ecological balance.
Shah announced that special recruitment drives would be conducted for the Mising community in the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), enabling local youth to contribute to India’s internal security.
He said that Assam is moving steadily on the path of peace under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership. He noted that several agreements have led to the disarming of nearly 10,000 youths. He added that the Assam government has recognised the Mising language as a medium of education in 200 lower primary schools. He said that today Assam’s youth are choosing vision over weapons and dreams over fear.
The Home Minister said that more than 1.56 lakh government jobs have been provided without recommendations. He added that the semiconductor factory being set up in Assam will create employment for over 27,000 youths, and by the end of 2026, ‘Made in Assam’ chips will reach markets across the world.
Shah said that making Assam free from infiltrators is a collective responsibility. He stated that infiltration increased significantly during the 20 years of opposition rule and led to drastic demographic changes. He said that under Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma, infiltrators will be identified and deported. He added that on 15 August 2025, Prime Minister Modi announced the High-Powered Demographic Mission to study unnatural demographic changes and suggest remedies. He also said that the Assam government has freed 1.26 lakh acres of land from infiltrators.
The Home Minister said that the Modi government has prioritised Assam’s development. He stated that while the previous central government provided ₹1.28 lakh crore to Assam in 10 years, the Modi government has allocated ₹4.5 lakh crore in the last decade. He added that ₹30,000 crore has been spent on roads, ₹95,000 crore on railways and ₹10,000 crore on airports.
Shah said that the Narendra Modi government is fully committed to tribal welfare. He noted that former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee established the Tribal Commission and Ministry of Tribal Affairs, while Prime Minister Modi declared November 15 as Janjatiya Gaurav Divas and set up tribal museums across the country. He said that the tribal development budget has increased significantly and that the budget for Eklavya Model Residential Schools has been raised 25 times.
