CM Himanta thanks CRPF, Assam Police on Diwali duty
Synopsis
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma saluted CRPF and Assam Police personnel on Diwali, calling them his own family and expressing gratitude for their sacrifice in choosing duty over celebration.
Key Takeaways
CM Himanta Biswa Sarma posted a Diwali tribute on 8 November 2026 addressed to CRPF and Assam Police .
He acknowledged that personnel spend festivals away from their own families to serve the nation.
Sarma extended his gratitude explicitly to the families of deployed personnel as well.
The message reflects Assam's sustained reliance on both central paramilitary and state police forces for security.
As convenor of NEDA , Sarma is a key political figure across the north-east, giving the tribute added institutional weight.
While most of India lit diyas and gathered with family on Diwali, thousands of CRPF and Assam Police personnel stood watch — and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma made sure that did not go unacknowledged.
In a post addressed to @crpfindia and @assampolice, CM Sarma wrote: 'Diwali is about being with family. For them, duty means being away from theirs. They stand beside me every day, putting service to the nation before celebrations at home. Grateful to them and their families for this sacrifice. They are my family too.'
A tradition of duty in a state that knows its security costs
Assam has carried a long, complex security burden — decades of counter-insurgency operations, porous border management, and sustained internal deployment of both central and state forces. The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), India's largest central paramilitary organisation, has maintained a significant footprint in the state through years of active operations. Assam Police, meanwhile, has evolved into one of the more battle-tested state forces in the country's north-east.
Festival seasons — Diwali, Eid, Bihu — routinely see heightened deployments rather than stand-downs. For personnel posted far from home districts, the gap between duty and celebration is not symbolic; it is real and recurring.
Why Sarma's message carries weight beyond protocol
CM Sarma is also the convenor of the North-East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), making him a central political figure across a region where security forces and civilian administration are uniquely intertwined. A tribute of this kind, addressed directly to two specific forces by their official handles, is both personal acknowledgement and institutional signal — that the state's highest office sees and values the human cost of that deployment.
The message lands with particular resonance because it names the families too: 'Grateful to them and their families for this sacrifice.' The families of on-duty personnel spend festivals alone just as surely as the personnel themselves.
For the men and women in uniform who spent Diwali 2026 on a checkpoint or a patrol route rather than at a family table, the Chief Minister's message is a simple but clear one — you are seen.
Point of View
He reinforces the Centre-state coordination narrative that has defined his tenure. The reference to families is a deliberate widening of the frame: welfare optics in Assam increasingly extend beyond the personnel to the households that bear the indirect burden. For a convenor of a multi-state alliance, projecting a 'we see you' posture toward security forces is also durable political capital in the north-east.
NationPress
8 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Himanta Biswa Sarma post a Diwali message for CRPF and Assam Police?
CM Sarma posted the tribute to acknowledge CRPF and Assam Police personnel who remain on duty during Diwali instead of celebrating with their families, expressing gratitude for their sacrifice.
What did Himanta Biswa Sarma say about CRPF on Diwali 2026?
He said that while Diwali is about being with family, these personnel put service to the nation before celebrations at home, calling them his own family and thanking their families too.
Why is CRPF deployed in Assam?
The CRPF has a longstanding deployment in Assam primarily for counter-insurgency operations, internal security, and border management duties that have continued over several decades.
Who does Himanta Biswa Sarma oversee politically in the north-east?
Beyond serving as Assam's Chief Minister, Sarma is the convenor of the North-East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), making him a key political coordinator across multiple north-eastern states.
Do security forces get time off during festivals like Diwali in Assam?
Festival seasons in Assam typically see heightened security deployments rather than reduced ones, meaning many CRPF and Assam Police personnel remain on active duty through Diwali and other major celebrations.
