Guwahati: Students Detained During Protest Against Tree Felling Near Rabindra Bhawan

Staff reporter

Guwahati: In a dramatic turn of events that has stirred public concern over urban environmental policies, at least nine students from Cotton University and B. Borooah College were detained by Assam Police late on Thursday night following a protest against the felling of trees near Rabindra Bhawan in the heart of Guwahati.

The protest began after local residents and students noticed workers cutting down trees in the area, reportedly as part of an urban infrastructure initiative. Outraged by what they perceived as an unscientific and opaque process, students and environmental activists gathered at the site to stage a peaceful protest, demanding immediate suspension of the operation until proper ecological assessments were made.

According to eyewitnesses, the demonstrators were raising slogans and holding placards when a group of labourers, who claimed to be executing a “tree relocation” project, continued with the operation. “We are not cutting the trees, we are relocating them,” said one worker involved in the activity. However, the claim did little to pacify the protesters, who argued that the relocation of trees without scientific backing often leads to irreversible damage and high mortality rates.

Tensions escalated when police personnel arrived on the scene and detained nine student protesters. Those apprehended include Nirankush Nath, Utpala Das, Rajdeep Mohanta, Debabrata Saikia, Naushad Rashid, Alok Noroh, Anindita Das, Ankuman Bordoloi, and Dipshikhar Kalita. While the male detainees were taken to Latasil Police Station, the female protesters were sent to Panbazar Women’s Police Station.

The student community and environmental activists have condemned the detentions, calling them an attack on the democratic right to peaceful protest. “Our demands were simple,” said one protester who evaded detention. “We want the authorities to conduct a scientific study on the impact of tree transplantation, including the survival rate of previously relocated trees. Development is important, but it cannot come at the cost of our environment.”

Environmentalists have also voiced strong criticism, accusing city planners of implementing green cover clearance projects without public consultation or environmental due diligence. “Tree relocation has become a convenient term to bypass public resistance,” said an environmental expert. “Without data and long-term monitoring, this process is nothing but green-washing.”

The incident has triggered widespread solidarity from student organizations and civil society groups, many of whom are now planning a city-wide campaign to demand greater transparency in ecological matters and the immediate release of the detained students.

As of the time of reporting, no official statement has been issued by the district administration regarding the detentions or the specific goals and methodology of the tree relocation project.

The event has added fuel to an ongoing debate about the balance between development and environmental sustainability in Guwahati—a city already facing rising pollution levels, vanishing green spaces, and growing concerns over climate resilience.

Also Read: Assam Police crackdown on anti-national elements continues; 90 arrested so far

Also Watch: