Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma shares astronaut Mike Fincke’s video celebrating Bihu at space station, Congress trolls falsely claim video is from 2004: Here is the truth

Himanta Biswa Sarma Bihu video fact check
Bihu dance in space video shared by Assam CM not from 2004 (Image via The Hindu and X)

On 19th April (Sunday), Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma shared a video on his X account that went viral quickly. In the video, a NASA astronaut was seen floating inside the International Space Station, wearing a traditional Assamese gamusa. In the background, a Bihu song is playing, and the astronaut appears to be gently moving to the rhythm in zero gravity. The video caught attention because it mixed Assamese culture with space, something people found both surprising and exciting.

Sharing the video, Sarma wrote that it was wonderful to see “Bihu going global.” He also connected it to a major cultural moment from 2023, when over 11,000 artists performed Bihu together in Guwahati in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, creating a Guinness World Record.

Soon after the video went viral, some Congress supporters and sections of the media, including India Today and Times Now, claimed that the clip was actually very old and dated back to 2004, when the Congress party was in power both in Assam and at the Centre. These claims suggested that the video was being reshared to create a misleading narrative.

This led to confusion online, with many users questioning the authenticity and timing of the video.

Fact check: What is the truth?

However, a closer look shows that these claims are misleading. The video shared by Sarma is not from 2004. It is actually from last December. While a similar kind of cultural video may have existed earlier, this specific clip is recent.

On Friday, 17th April, Indian-American journalist S. Mitra Kalita shared the same video on Instagram through the page “epicenter_nyc.” She also tagged the astronaut seen in the clip, confirming its authenticity.

The astronaut in the video is Mike Fincke, a senior NASA astronaut who travelled to space in December 2025 as part of a SpaceX mission and returned in January 2026. 

Who is the astronaut in the video?

Mike Fincke is not just any astronaut. He is one of NASA’s most experienced space travellers, having spent a total of 549 days in space across multiple missions. He has also conducted spacewalks and even commanded missions aboard the International Space Station.

Interestingly, he also has a personal connection to Assam. He is married to Renita Saikia Fincke, who is originally from Assam. This connection makes the Bihu performance in space even more meaningful.

Written by OpIndia Staff
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