Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma was conferred with the 28th South Indian Education Society (SIES) Sri Chandrasekarendra Saraswati Eminence Award at a function held at Sri Shanmukhananda Hall in Mumbai on Saturday evening.
Sarma received the award under the Public Leadership category in recognition of governance initiatives in Assam, including job creation, land reforms, digital governance measures and welfare support extended to more than two million families. According to the organisers, national surveys have ranked him among the top-performing chief ministers in the country.
The award, instituted in memory of Sri Chandrasekarendra Saraswathi, the 68th Sankaracharya of Shri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham in Tamil Nadu, carries a cash prize of Rs 2.5 lakh, along with a brass lamp, a shawl, a citation and other mementos. Since its inception, 113 individuals have been honoured.
Addressing the gathering, Sarma paid obeisance to Sankara Vijayendra Saraswathi, the Jagadguru Shankaracharya of Shri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam, and expressed gratitude to SIES for the recognition. He spoke about Assam’s spiritual and civilisational links with the rest of India.
“Adi Shankaracharya himself travelled through ancient Kamarupa, debating great scholars like Navagupta and established the ‘Advaita tradition’ in the Northeast. A mandapam at Kamakhya Temple stands as testimony to that visit. The setting up of ‘Sri Sankardeva Netralaya’ and ‘Poorva Tirupati Mandir’ with the initiatives of Vijayendra Saraswathi deepened this connection,” the Chief Minister said.
He described Assam as a region where multiple belief systems and cultural traditions have historically coexisted. “Assam has always been a meeting ground of cultures where tribal cosmologies, indigenous rituals and classical Hindu traditions have coexisted and enriched one another. Hinduism did not arrive in the Northeast as a conquering force; it arrived as a cultural companion. It adapted to the land, absorbed local traditions, and preserved ancient spiritual impulses connected to nature, ancestors and the cosmic order,” Sarma said.
Referring to various indigenous communities, he said the Bodos worship Bathou through the sacred siju plant, the Rabhas blend spirit worship with Shakta and Vaishnavite traditions, and the Tiwas regard Mahadeo as supreme while practising tribal rituals. He also mentioned that the Dimasas worship ancestral deities such as Sibrai and Ranachandi, the Karbis preserve deities linked to protection, illness, forests and homes, and the Tai-Ahoms honour a Supreme Being and celestial deities while later embracing Vaishnavism and Shaktism.
“Hinduism is not merely a religion; it is a way of life, an ethical compass, a spiritual inquiry, and a timeless quest for truth. Its essence continues to remain relevant, open to reform, renewal and reinterpretation across generations. A Hindu may choose a personal deity, another may find solace in the silence of the formless and another in ancestor worship. Outsiders may mistake this for confusion. But in reality, it reflects the vast freedom that ‘Sanatana Dharma’ accords to every seeking soul. The Assam represents one of the most vibrant expressions of this lived diversity within Hinduism and diversity is not merely accepted, but it is celebrated,” Dr Biswa said.
Sarma also referred to what he described as political appeasement, intellectual mockery and ideological hostility in the period following Independence, and spoke about challenges faced by Sanatan Dharma. He cited legal provisions such as the Places of Worship Act, 1991 and the Waqf Act, 1995, and referred to historical policies including the 1941 land development scheme, which he said led to demographic changes in Assam and encroachments on government land, forest land and the land of Satras.
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He stated that his government has taken steps to address these issues, including clearing nearly 15,000 hectares of forest land from encroachers and removing encroachments from Bordowa, the birthplace of Srimanta Sankardeva. According to him, maintaining demographic balance is linked to preserving Assam’s civilisational continuity.
Apart from Sarma, Padma Bhushan A Sivathanu Pillai, founder, managing director and chief executive officer of BrahMos Aerospace, and Padma Shri Prahlad Ramarao, the first project director of the Akash Missile System, were also honoured with the 28th Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati National Eminence Award, 2025.
The Collective Leadership Award was presented to Mumbai’s Dabbawalas, known for delivering over 200,000 home-cooked meals to office-goers daily. The award for Social Leadership and Philosophy was conferred on Mani Dravid. SIES president V Shankar addressed the gathering at the presentation ceremony.
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