By Geetha V P
In the grand circus of Indian politics, few acrobats have swung from one ring to another with the theatrical swagger of Himanta Biswa Sarma. The man Friday of Modi-Shah, the architect of the Northeast, the self-styled guardian of Axom — he has turned reinvention into performance art. But as the spotlight sharpens in 2026, the daring trapeze artist appears dangerously close to missing the catcher’s hands.
The Supreme Court recently handed Congress leader Pawan Khera anticipatory bail and, in the process, served up some unsolicited script notes to the Assam Chief Minister. The court placed on record Himanta’s own press statements — those colourful vows to turn Pawan Khera into “Pawan Peda,” to “pelunga” him, and to drag him out even if he were hiding in hell. Unparliamentary? The bench called it exactly that, while gently reminding everyone that personal liberty shouldn’t be the first casualty of political testosterone.
One can imagine the Supreme Court judges exchanging glances: “Model Code of Conduct in force, yet we’re hearing about CRPF fantasies and mid-flight deplaning?” When even the apex court quotes your election-rally rhetoric in a bail order, it’s no longer just “plain speaking” — it’s starring in your own cautionary tale. The husband of the complainant thundering like a constitutional cowboy makes for excellent courtroom drama, but perhaps not the best optics for the rule of law.
Meanwhile, on the diplomatic stage, Himanta delivered another solo act. His vivid description of “pushing back” undocumented migrants at night as a “special gesture” proved so cinematic that Bangladesh summoned India’s envoy to register a formal protest. In international relations, where subtlety is usually preferred over border-side push notifications, Himanta opted for the director’s cut — uncut and unfiltered. Dhaka wasn’t amused. Delhi’s diplomats, one suspects, sighed the sigh of men who suddenly have extra homework.
To his fans, this is vintage Himanta — fearless, unapologetic, electrifying. To neutral observers, it increasingly looks like a man who has begun believing his own press clippings a tad too literally. The loyal lieutenant who was once prized for delivering results is now generating more courtroom footnotes and diplomatic damage-control than governance headlines. In the Modi-Shah universe, loyalty is currency — but indiscipline tends to devalue it quickly.
There’s an old saying: the law is above you, even when you think you are above all. Himanta, it seems, is currently stress-testing that particular proverb with the enthusiasm of a man conducting a public experiment. The irony is rich — the CM who lectures others on following rules appears, at least in judicial observation, to have treated press conferences as exemption zones.
Will the high command in Delhi continue to enjoy the fireworks, or will they eventually tire of cleaning up the sparks? Assam’s politics rewards strongmen, but even strongmen occasionally discover that courts, neighbours, and party discipline have a way of pushing back — sometimes in broad daylight.
For now, the show goes on. The lights are bright, the rhetoric is louder, and the net below the trapeze looks increasingly optional. How long before gravity — that ultimate leveller — reminds the performer that even the star attraction must land safely? In the circus of Indian politics, the fall from grace is rarely announced with a drumroll. It usually begins with polite judicial observations and quiet diplomatic protests.
Stay tuned. The man who wanted to write Assam’s script might soon find the Supreme Court and South Block co-authoring an unexpected plot twist.
