OUR CORRESPONDENT
BONGAIGAON: Bongaigaon witnessed a sweeping wave of yellow and green on Monday as more than twenty thousand Koch-Rajbongshi people gathered at the North Bongaigaon Stadium, transforming the ground into a vibrant sea of Koch Rajbongshi traditional attire, ‘Gamsha and Patani.’ The massive gathering, marked by emotional unity and loud slogans, was held to press for three major demands of formation of a separate Kamatapur state, granting of Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to the Koch-Rajbongshi community, and the initiation of a peace accord with the Kamatapur Liberation Organization (KLO).
The rally turned highly charged when AKRSU Secretary Boloram Barman addressed the gathering with a fiery, emotionally-loaded speech that drew repeated applause. Addressing the mass, Barman said the Koch-Rajbongshi people had been forced to wait far too long for justice. “We have struggled for decades. Our demands are justified, our history is clear, yet every government has chosen to ignore us. They used us as trump cards for their politics and then abandoned us. They divided us through conspiracies, but today that game is over,” he declared. “The patience of our people has reached its end. Today we stand united—stronger than ever. And let the government hear this clearly: if our demands are not fulfilled immediately, we will show our real strength in the 2026 Assembly election. This time, the Koch-Rajbongshi roar will shake the political ground.”
AKRSU President Manoj Ray, speaking with deep conviction, reminded the crowd of their long historical roots. “Koch-Rajbongshis were never strangers to statehood. We were an independent kingdom—Kamatapur—our identity, our pride. Today, we demand our Kamatapur back,” he said. Ray also pressed for the implementation of the long-debated merger commitments. “We want full implementation of the Merger Accord signed between Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and King Jagadwipendra Narayan Bhup Bahadur. That accord recognized the Kamatapur territory. We demand immediate action. Our history is not for display—it is our right, and we are here to reclaim it,” he asserted, drawing thunderous applause.
The rally was organized under the leadership of the All Koch-Rajbongshi Students Union (AKRSU) and supported by twelve major organizations. Members travelled from different parts of Assam and neighbouring Bengal to be part of the show of strength.
Also Read: National seminar on Koch-Rajbongshi community on December 6 & 7