Photo Courtesy: nenow
Guwahati: Members of the Kalita community stalled traffic on National Highway 17 for an hour on November 2. The blockade hit Agia in the Goalpara district of Assam. Protesters gathered to fight the Assam Land and Revenue Amendment Bill, 2026. The Kalita Jatiya Sanmilan led the charge.
The group wants the state to label Kalitas as an indigenous ethnic community. They currently reject the bill's reference date of January 1, 2006. The law demands three generations of proof to secure land rights. This hurts the community. The protesters want those rules dumped entirely.
They seek clear land rights in tribal belts, blocks, and Sixth Schedule areas. The current bill ignores them. Many fear losing the right to buy or sell land. One participant argued the government is sidelining their history, stating, "Despite their historical roots in Assam, Kalitas were being described as non-indigenous."
This marks the third protest for the community after earlier events in Baihata Chariali and Numaligarh. The Assam Legislative Assembly passed the bill on July 29 during the final day of the 2026 Budget Session. Demonstrators claim they have no access to reservation in education or health. They threatened to surround the homes of local MLAs who fail to raise these issues in the Assembly. Agitators promised more chaos if the government ignores them.
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