Assam Activists Jailed as Land Rights Protests Flare

Guwahati: Bokakhat District Court remanded indigenous land rights activist Pranab Doley to seven days of police custody on Monday. Police arrested Doley Sunday at his home in Guwahati. He serves as convenor of the Greater Kaziranga Land and Human Rights Protection Committee. Authorities accuse him of trespassing at a proposed hotel site near Kaziranga National Park while allegedly carrying deadly weapons. The FIR claims his group threatened workers and assaulted officers. Doley faces multiple charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

"The police picked me up without giving any reason or prior notice. If we cannot raise even a single voice for the people, what kind of democracy is this? The police have kidnapped me like a goon. Himanta Biswa Sarma's dictatorship will not work," Doley told reporters during his transport. Supporters gathered at the court to demand his immediate release.

Doley, a TISS graduate, opposes the transfer of land to the Assam Tourism Development Corporation for a five-star hotel. Critics argue the project harms the ecosystem and displaces Adivasi families. Twenty families filed a Gauhati High Court petition in June challenging the land acquisition. They claim to hold valid records for land seized without environmental assessments.

Separately, a Congress delegation led by Mira Borthakur and Nirmal Langthasa visited Guwahati Central Jail on Monday to meet activist Aditya Rabha. Police arrested Rabha on July 9 regarding alleged financial irregularities at a cooperative bank. The Bhumi Adhikar Joutha Sangram Samiti claims the charges are politically motivated. Rabha remains a vocal critic of a proposed satellite township project at Barduar.

Legislators Akhil Gogoi and Mahbubul Haque protested the arrests inside the Assam Legislative Assembly. The pair wore black clothing and displayed placards during the ongoing Budget Session. Gogoi accused the government of seizing indigenous land to benefit corporate interests. Assam Pradesh Congress Committee president Gaurav Gogoi also condemned the detentions. He stated the government uses police to suppress dissent rather than engaging in democratic dialogue.

Various groups, including the All India Kisan Sabha, the Sustha Samaj Bikash Chakra, and the Asom Nagarik Sanmilan, have demanded the unconditional release of both men. The state government has not yet replied to these allegations.