Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma launched an attack on Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi, without naming him, on the issue of Gogoi’s wife retaining her British citizenship for 12 years after their marriage in 2013. He also mentioned allegations of ISI links against Elizabeth Colburn, saying the questions must be answered.
In a post on X, the Assam CM wrote, “Serious questions need to be answered regarding allegations of ISI links, leading young individuals to the Pakistan Embassy for brainwashing and radicalization, and the refusal to take Indian citizenship for the past 12 years. Additionally, participation in a conversion cartel and receiving funds from external sources, including George Soros, to destabilize national security are grave concerns that cannot be ignored.”
Serious questions need to be answered regarding allegations of ISI links, leading young individuals to the Pakistan Embassy for brainwashing and radicalization, and the refusal to take Indian citizenship for the past 12 years. Additionally, participation in a conversion cartel…
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) February 12, 2025
He added, “At some point, accountability will be necessary. Simply deflecting responsibility or attempting to shift the focus onto others will not serve as an easy escape route. The nation deserves transparency and truth.”
While Himanta Biswa Sarma didn’t mention any name, it is apparent that he was talking about Gaurav Gogoi and his wife Elizabeth Colburn, who has retained her British passport after her marriage with Gogoi in 2013.
The Assam CM’s tweet also accused her of leading young individuals to the Pakistan embassy for “brainwashing and radicalization”. He also alleged participation in a conversion cartel and receiving funds from external sources, including George Soros, to destabilize national security, calling them grave concerns.
Himanta Biswa Sarma also questioned why a lawmaker’s wife was allowed to retain foreign citizenship for such a long time while there is a different rule for officers. He said that he has learnt that IFS officers must obtain prior permission before marrying a foreign national, and the foreign spouse must acquire Indian citizenship within six months.
During my interactions with an IFS officer in Singapore, I learned that officers in the Indian Foreign Service cannot marry a foreign national without prior permission from the Government of India. Moreover, even when permission is granted, it comes with the condition that the…
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) February 12, 2025
He tweeted, “During my interactions with an IFS officer in Singapore, I learned that officers in the Indian Foreign Service cannot marry a foreign national without prior permission from the Government of India. Moreover, even when permission is granted, it comes with the condition that the spouse must acquire Indian citizenship within six months. Interestingly, this rule does not apply to our lawmakers. However, allowing a foreign spouse of a lawmaker to retain foreign citizenship for 12 years is far too long. Loyalty to the nation must always take precedence over all other considerations.”
Elizabeth is currently working for Oxford Policy Management, which works on Climate. She also works as a project manager in the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) in Delhi. The Assam CM was referring to allegations on social media that Elizabeth is linked to ISI through Ali Tauqeer Sheikh, CDKN’s Regional Director for Asia, who also worked in the Pakistan Planning Commission. Elizabeth worked closely with Tauqeer Sheikh in Pakistan. It is also alleged he was her PhD guide.
Gaurav Gogoi’s NGO suspected of FCRA violation
In December last year, Gaurav Gogoi accused the Modi government of using the George Soros issue to hide its failures. The son of former CM Tarun Gogoi said that to hide its failures in Manipur, BJP was raising the issue of interference by George Soros and his Open Society Foundation.
While Gaurav Gogoi said this as a Congress leader, an interesting point is that he has links with organisations funded by Soros.
Gaurav Gogoi is the founder of Farm 2 Food, an Assam-based organisation with the aim of providing training and tools for taking up sustainable, farm-based livelihoods. The Jorhat headquartered non-profit lists National Foundation of India, an organisation funded by George Soros and other deep state entities, as one of its partners.
Notably, the National Foundation of India lists the Open Society Foundation of George Soros, the Ford Foundation, the Omidyar Network, and the Rockefeller Foundation, among others, as its donors. All these organisations are known as deep state assets working against nationalist governments worldwide, including India. They have funded numerous anti-India campaigns and initiatives.
Moreover, Farm 2 Food is not registered with FCRA, which means it can’t receive foreign funding. Despite that, the NGO is working with foreign organisations, raising questions about whether the group is violating FCRA provisions.
Farm 2 Food lists the Swiss Re Foundation as one of its partners. The foundation run by reinsurance major Swiss Re works on climate and health sectors. Its website states that it provides grant funding to its partners, apart from other supports.
Farm 2 Food is implementing the School Nutrition Garden Initiative in various schools in Assam. This is an Ashoka Foundation project funded by Swiss Re. However, it is notable that the Ashoka Foundation is FCRA-registered.
As per the 2022-23 annual report of Farm 2 Food, it received grants of ₹1,80,000.00 and donations of ₹14,74,685.16 in that year. However, it does not list its grantors and donors. Therefore, it can’t ascertained whether it received any foreign funding directly.
