India, Oct. 20 -- They call him Mama. The word sounds harmless, even sweet. But in Assam's political vocabulary, it now signifies something larger: access to the ruler framed as family.

Himanta Biswa Sarma did not stumble into this. The nickname, which began in crowds and classrooms, was deliberately amplified. Clips of schoolgirls hugging him and calling him Mama circulate widely; beneficiaries of welfare schemes address him the same way. A national quiz show used the nickname as a question. Slogans like "Mamar guarantee" have since turned policy pitches into personal promises.

This is more than a stylistic tweak; it is a method. By inviting people to treat him as kin, the leader reshapes their relationship with the state. You skip the...