STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: Guwahati’s Chachal ground turned into a sea of defiance on Sunday, as people from across Assam gathered under the blazing October sun to deliver a resounding message — Assam’s land is not for sale.
The “Adhikar Samabesh”, organized by the Bhumi Adhikar Joutho Sangram Samiti, brought together farmers, students, activists, and artistes from Kaziranga, Dima Hasao, Karbi Anglong, Bodoland, and the riverine plains—all united in their demand for land justice and dignity.
The air was charged with emotion as the crowd waved banners and placards, chanting “Maati aamar, adhikar aamar” (Our land, our right). Amid the rally, young Assamese singers performed songs of icon Zubeen Garg, turning his melodies into an anthem of resistance. His music, filled with nostalgia and defiance, carried through the loudspeakers, transforming grief into courage and the protest into a cultural awakening.
At the heart of the gathering lay a burning question — who truly owns Assam’s land? For decades, indigenous communities have cultivated and protected it as part of their identity, not as mere property. Yet today, many find themselves branded as encroachers on their own soil. Protesters accused the government of facilitating massive land transfers to corporate houses under the guise of “green energy” and “development” projects. They cited alarming figures — 5,000 bighas in Barduar, 18,000 and 12,000 bighas in Karbi Anglong, 9,000 bighas in Dima Hasao, and 3,600 bighas in Prabatjhora — all allegedly acquired for corporate ventures.“Development for whom?” asked a protester bitterly. “We’ll get jobs as labourers and security guards while outsiders take the real positions.” Their frustration echoed a recurring pattern — eviction for the poor, opportunity for the powerful.
Speaking to the gathering, Subrata Talukdar, leader of the Bhumi Adhikar Joutho Sangram Samiti, accused the state of handing over tribal lands to industrial giants. “The government has given away our ancestral lands to corporate giants like Adani and Ambani. Indigenous people have suffered the most. We demand proper land pattas and an immediate stop to these evictions,” he declared to loud applause.
The anguish in his words mirrored the lived experiences of countless families displaced from Silsako, Mikir Bamuni, and other regions. Villages have been erased, farmlands converted into private estates, and livelihoods uprooted — all in the name of progress.
Amid the charged atmosphere, a reflective voice emerged—that of veteran scholar and thinker Dr Hiren Gohain. “It’s tragic that in a free India, people must still fight their government for their own land,” he said. Drawing a parallel with colonial rule, he noted, “The British used the land revenue system to extract wealth; today’s rulers continue that exploitation under new names — solar power, cement, hotels.” He also warned of demographic manipulation through delimitation and selective citizenship grants, calling it “a deliberate attempt to alter Assam’s identity and ownership patterns.”
The rally turned into a moment of collective mourning when protesters observed silence for nine Dimasa workers—Munna Kemprai, Sorbojit Thaosen, Phaibit Fanglu, Bidayum Porbosa, Paban Sorong, Prayanto Sorong, Suman Kharikap, Dimaraj Thaosen, and Dipak Raijung—who recently died in industrial accidents. Their names, read aloud from the stage, drew tears and renewed determination. Protesters demanded accountability, compensation, and justice, calling their deaths “a result of economic violence and neglect.”
As the afternoon sun dipped lower, Zubeen Garg’s songs once again filled the air—not as entertainment, but as resistance. His immortal voice, carrying pride and justice, seemed to embody the very soul of the movement.
Also read: Community fishery, religious site targeted in Jirim Gaon land dispute
Also Watch: