Guwahati, Aug. 15 -- Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, speaking at Khanapara in Assam on Friday, delivered an hour-long Independence Day address but remained silent on the pressing wildlife and environmental crises unfolding across the state.

Sarma's speech focused on demographic and identity concerns but made no mention of the escalating human-wildlife conflict, renewed international poaching threats, shrinking wetlands, drying river stretches, or deforestation.

"When the state's forests are vanishing and wetlands are dying, silence from the top only deepens the crisis," said an NGO activist from Nagaon.

Widely covered for its political tone, the speech outlined identity safeguards and development schemes but lacked concrete c...