Though there is no official confirmation, news items and articles indicate that Priyanka Chopra is already made the Assam Brand Ambassador by the Tourism Department of Government of Assam. While some other news items suggest that PC is under consideration and is the frontrunner along with other candidates under consideration such as Sachin Tendulkar and perhaps Ranbir Kapur. The fees asked for by PC as per media reports is Rs1.5 crore per day. Media reports also inform that Amitabh Bachchan did not charge a penny for doing a similar promotion for Gujarat State.
Anger is already visible across some sections specially against the money part for hiring PC. I also decided to spend some time thinking who could be perhaps better, more economical , effective and acceptable brand ambassador of Assam.
My humble submission is that I have no malicious intent against any of the nominees from my side.
Arnab Goswami
Undoubtedly the most talked about Assamese in the country today is Arnab Goswami. My admiration for AG is not for his extreme nationalist and anti Pakistan stand but rather his lone battle seeking justice for Sheena Bora, the murdered Assamese girl. Though he has critics back home for not being able to highlight Assam floods as a national issue, in contrast to Barkha Dutt successfully projecting Kashmir , her home state as the most prominent national issue. But I have seen AG proudly declaring himself as an Assamese in the prime time national media. I am not sure whether a working journalist fits in the role of a brand ambassador or whether AG himself would like the idea. I sincerely hope he will charge much less than PC in case he agrees.
Zubin and Papon
Any of them or both them can be great brand ambassador(s) of Assam. Both of them are known nationally if not internationally. Zubin and Papon are self made individuals. They as brand ambassadors can also promote music of Assam along with tourism.
Priyadarshini Chatterjee
She is no less beautiful or gorgeous than PC. Perhaps she is the only lady from Assam to be crowned as Miss India . Though she may not be an Assamese in the strictest sense or she may not like us to call her an Assamese but the impeccable Assamese she spoke while talking to local media after the award kept us spellbound. I hope she will charge less and the gesture from state government will contribute to the state’s unity.
Kalpana Patowary
Difficult to imagine that a girl from Assam with humble backgrounds can be the queen of Bhojpuri music. I have read and heard about her struggles in the music world and surely she has curved out some space for herself. Bhojpuri is also a widely spoken language and she as a brand ambassador of the state may click.
Borosha Rani Bishaya
I have been her fan since she started her career as a TV host. She is articulate and a successful actor. She is also popular as an actor with Assamese mobile theatre groups. Her down to earth lifestyle , like going around the state in night service buses while working with mobile theatre groups is an example. She is also a firebrand lady if the situation demands. An example—during her stage performance perhaps in Lakhimpur, some hooligans sitting in the gallery used obscene words. She chased them from the stage to the gallery and then organizers had to intervene. Let me submit , Borosha is my number one nomination.
kamrupablog 