Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Guwahati: All Assam Students Union members swarmed the streets of Dibrugarh on September 3. They marched to protest the skyrocketing costs of daily food items. The group took aim at the Assam government for its lack of action.
Protesters staged a symbolic funeral procession for Supply Minister Kaushik Rai. They walked from the front of Shaheed Bhawan at Chowkidingi to Chowkidingi Chariali. Tension grew as they chanted slogans against the administration. The crowd later torched an effigy of the Minister in a show of anger.
AASU demanded a swift crackdown on price spikes. They called for better results from the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department. The union also tore into the public distribution system. Members insisted that authorities must keep food both reachable and cheap for the average family.
The group claims current costs hit regular households too hard. They want real relief for every consumer. An AASU member stated, "The continued rise in prices was placing an increasing financial burden on ordinary households." They remain focused on holding the state government accountable for its handling of commodity distribution.
Updated at 4th September 2026 at 1:49am
The Dibrugarh demonstration was led by unit president Priyo Pratim Sonowal and secretary Rishav Phukan. Protest leaders pointed to specific price hikes in fuel, LPG, vegetables, sugar, potatoes, onions, and medicines as primary drivers of the current household budget crisis. Activists argued that costs remain stable during election cycles but skyrocket immediately after voters head to the polls.
AASU is pushing for stricter market surveillance, including regular inspections to curb hoarding and profiteering. The union warned that the agitation will intensify and expand into a broader, sustained movement across the state if the government fails to stabilize prices.
AASU Central Committee president Utpal Sarma blasted the government for allegedly favoring big capitalists over the public. "Do you know which department of the Assam government has turned into a dead body? It is the Food, Public Distribution and Consumer Affairs Department," Sarma said. He claimed that despite pre-election promises, the current administration has abandoned the common person.
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