The name change trend has entered the BJP-ruled Assam with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announcing that the Karimganj district in the Barak Valley will now be called Sribhumi. Assam CM Sarma said that the decision was taken at a meeting of the state cabinet.

“Over 100 years ago, Kabiguru Rabindranath Tagore had described modern-day Karimganj district as Sribhumi – the land of Maa Lakshmi. Today, the Assam cabinet has fulfilled this long-standing demand of our people,” he said. The move to rename the district will reflect the expectations and aspirations of the people of the district, Sarma said.

Assam CM Sarma further said, “We will continue to change names that do not have any dictionary reference or any other historical evidence. We have been doing this for a long time and it is a continuous process.”

“To give the existing Karimganj district a distinct identity which justifies its rich cultural heritage, Cabinet has approved renaming Karimganj as Sribhumi district,” CM Sarma posted on X.

Besides, the state cabinet also decided to publish the voter list for the panchayat polls by December so that the election process is over by February 10 next year.