Guwahati: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday invoked his connection with the tea to inaugurate the largest Jhumoir ensemble in Assam's capital town Guwahati and said that no one can understand the beauty and aroma of the tea other than him.
The Prime Minister said this while inaugurating the Jhumoir dance ensemble which was organised at the Sarusajai stadium in Guwahati to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the tea industry in Assam. Modi arrived at the Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport here on Monday and headed straight to the Sarusajai stadium to inaugurate the largest Jhumoir dance performance which was performed by over 8000 dancers and musicians from the tea tribe community across the state.
"No one knows the beauty of the tea gardens and the aroma of the tea other than a tea seller (chaiwala). I also have a close connection with the Jhumoir dance and the tea. Apart from the rich heritage of Assam, I can see the diversity of India here today,' said Modi while addressing the packed gathering at the Sarusajai stadium.
"I was in Assam in 2023 when over 11000 people danced Bihu together and made a world record. Today, I can see you all are waiting to set another world record by performing the Jhumoir dance,' said Modi while complementing the Assam government and Chief Minister of the State Himanta Biswa Sarma.
"There was a time when the people of Assam and northeast aspired for development, the culture and heritage of the region was ignored. But Now Modi himself has become the brand ambassador to promote Assam and the northeast. I am the only Prime Minister who stayed in Kaziranga National Park to tell the world about its rich biodiversity," he said adding that it is the BJP government at the Centre and the state who had played a major role in giving classical status to Assamese language and UNESCO World Heritage Status to the Charaideu Moidams (the Burial mound of the Ahoms).
He said that the BJP government at the state and Centre has taken steps to celebrate the 400th birth anniversary of the great Ahom general Lachit Borphukan, who had protected the Culture and heritage of Assam from the invading Mughals.
Speaking about the government's initiative towards the welfare of the tea tribe community, the Prime Minister said that steps are on to establish over 300 Ayushman Arogya mandirs in tea garden areas of Assam. "Steps are also being taken to set up over 100 model schools in tea garden areas for the tea tribes students in the state," he said adding that the BJP government has launched the wage compensation scheme for pregnant tea garden workers in Assam who receive a cash benefit of Rs 15,000 during their pregnancy.
He said that the BJP government had also taken up steps to reserve 3 per cent jobs for the tea garden community under the OBC reservation quota and launched self-income generating schemes for the youths of the tea garden community to help generate self-employment.
The dance ensemble, titled ‘Jhumoir Binandini 2025,’ is being organised by the Assa government to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the tea industry in Assam. Dancers and musicians from the tea tribe community took part in the cultural event from most of the tea gardens in Assam. It may be mentioned here that Jhumur (pronounced as Jhumoir) is a traditional folk dance of the state’s tea tribes.
Organised by the BJP-led government in Assam, the event is also expected to set a world record of being the largest Jhumur dance ensemble in the world aimed at highlighting the rich cultural heritage of Assam on a global stage. Apart from Prime Minister Modi and some of his cabinet colleagues including External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and at least 60 heads of missions and ambassadors from different countries also attended the grand cultural feast.
Prior to attending the world's largest Jhumur ensemble at Guwahati, the 60 heads of mission and ambassadors have also visited the Kaziranga National Park in Assam led by Jaishankar. The event was strategically planned a day ahead of the inauguration of the Advantage Assam 2.0 Investment Summit, which is being held in Guwahati from February 25 and February 26.
Tea garden and the tea garden community in Assam assume immense significance for Assam--tea is the backbone of Assam's economy by being the largest industry, providing substantial employment opportunities to a huge workforce and generating foreign exchange earnings through exports and acting as a major contributor to the state's GDP, essentially serving as the backbone of Assam's economy. With an approximately seven million population, the tea community, on the other hand, constitutes 20 per cent of Assam's total population. The tea tribe community also constitutes between 25 to 35 per cent of Assam's total electorates and are a deciding factor for electoral politics in different constituencies in the state.
