Photo Courtesy: nenow
Guwahati: The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee will launch a statewide campaign against coal, stone, and sand syndicates. APCC president Gaurav Gogoi chaired the meeting on Sunday, August 16. The party blames these operations for aggravating recent floods in Upper Assam. They called these syndicates the "primary drivers" of the disaster.
Congress workers are currently active on the ground. They are repairing damaged houses and cleaning public and religious institutions. Teams are helping schools reopen through shramdaan. Farmers are receiving paddy seedlings and direct help with transplantation. These relief efforts involve the Seva Dal, Mahila Congress, Youth Congress, and NSUI.
The party is gearing up for election season. Officials reviewed strategy for the upcoming Lok Sabha by-election, autonomous council polls, and municipal elections. They also scheduled zonal training for party workers. A separate meeting focused on social media outreach.
Resolutions passed to block government policy. The party opposes cutting the Kaziranga National Park eco-sensitive zone from 10 kilometers to 1 kilometer. They also rejected the transfer of indigenous land at Engleng Pathar to large corporate entities.
Education remains a flashpoint. Leadership condemned the appointment of RSS-affiliated figures as university vice-chancellors. They alleged the state favors ideologically aligned candidates for college principal roles. Officials noted a significant churn among Gen-Z regarding the current system. A state-level youth convention is coming soon.
Updated at 17th August 2026 at 1:49pm
The party is moving beyond localized relief work to launch a broader public movement against what it terms anti-people policies. Leadership plans to push for greater public accountability regarding the state's handling of the environment and community resources.
Updated at 17th August 2026 at 6:00pm
State party president Gaurav Gogoi took the fight to the streets on August 17, leading a protest in Kohora against the government plan to shrink the eco-sensitive zone around Kaziranga. Senior leaders including Meera Borthakur, Durlav Chamua, Shivamoni Bora, Pranati Phukan, and Satyabrata Kalita joined the demonstration to demand the government scrap the proposal and keep current environmental safeguards intact.
The party is framing the move as a push for profit over protection. In a social media blast, the Congress warned, "Stop selling Kaziranga to your corporate friends," as they pushed to keep the area safe from commercial development.
Updated at 17th August 2026 at 10:00pm
Party leaders argue the move risks the long-term ecological security of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. They maintain that the government must prioritize wildlife conservation over commercial interests and withdraw the proposal immediately to keep existing safeguards in place.
The push signals a shift in the party's platform, as they now demand that environmental protection, rather than development or profit, guide all future state decisions regarding the park and its surrounding territory.
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