On 17 November in London, an event of significance took shape inside the British Museum. It was not a grand state ceremony, nor a diplomatic gathering. Instead, it was a not-so-formal meeting between Assam’s Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, and the British Museum authorities to sign a Memorandum of Understanding that would allow the Vrindavani Vastra - one of Assam’s most cherished cultural treasures - to travel home on loan in 2027.

I attended the event too, alongside other members of the Assamese diaspora. After all, moments like this can really feel once-in-a-lifetime. The gathering didn’t include only Assamese people - there were members of other Indian diasporas as well. A few international visitors to the museum even asked the Chief Minister for selfies. Everyone smiled, includi

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