SHILLONG/JOWAI, July 10: The Voice of the People Party’s protest against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma attending the Behdienkhlam Festival at Jowai as the chief guest has drawn severe criticism from both the BJP and the festival organisers, who accused the party of politicising a sacred cultural event.
Cabinet Minister and BJP leader Sanbor Shullai slammed the VPP’s stand, calling the protest “embarrassing” and “misplaced.” He said the demand that Sarma first resolve the interstate border dispute before attending the Pnar community’s traditional festival had no connection with the celebrations.
He added that the organisers had invited Sarma only to witness the cultural event and not for any political discussion. “To stage this kind of protest, we feel very shy and find it funny,” he said, while maintaining that concerns over the border dispute should be raised through the proper committee and not during the festival.
The festival organisers also hit back strongly, defending their decision to invite Sarma and urging the VPP to stop interfering in the festival’s internal affairs.
“Behdienkhlam is a sacred religious and cultural festival of the Jaintia community. The organisation and conduct of the festival, including the invitation of guests, fall solely within the jurisdiction of the festival organisers. These decisions are made independently and without political influence,” they stated.
The organisers appealed to political parties not to drag the revered festival into partisan debates, saying the invitation reflected “long-standing values of courtesy and hospitality” and should not be misconstrued as support for any political position.
They called on all sides to “preserve the sanctity of Behdienkhlam” and keep it “a symbol of harmony, faith, and unity, above partisan interests.”
