Legacy of sacrifice and the struggle for identity, demography, and against illegal voting

Assam Swahid Diwas

Hiding history is a crime. The history of the Assam Movement is part of Assam’s history that everyone deserves to know – Mita Nath  

Over 855 people are officially recognised as Swahids of the historic Assam Movement of the 1970s, though many believe the true number is even higher. Each name in this roll of honour represents a story of courage, conviction, and ultimate sacrifice. Notable among them are Khargeswar Talukdar, Ranjit Borpujari, Dileswar Tanti, Bhubaneswar Saikia, Ratna Ranjan Das, Tileswar Kurmi, Debajit Dutta, and Jogen Koch, individuals whose bravery became emblematic of an entire people’s struggle.

The movement’s first martyr, Khargeswar Talukdar, fell on 10 December 1979. A dedicated volunteer of the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU), his death electrified the movement and became a rallying point for lakhs of Assamese youths. This mass mobilisation, among the largest in post-Independence India, was driven by a deep-seated reality of how unchecked illegal migration from Bangladesh was reshaping Assam’s demography, threatening indigenous rights, and manipulating electoral outcomes through illegal voting. For the Assamese people, this was not merely a political dispute but a matter of survival, encompassing culture, language, economy, and demographics.

Tensions had been brewing for years, but the 1978 by-election in Mangaldai revealed a sudden surge in registered voters, raising alarm over the possible inclusion of foreign nationals, primarily Muslim migrants from Bangladesh who had entered Assam illegally during and after the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War and had managed to get their names added to the electoral rolls.  For the indigenous population this was an existential threat, a challenge to nationality, land, and roots – jati, mati, bheti.

The situation escalated when the Congress-led Central Government, under Indira Gandhi, chose to conduct the 1983 Assembly Elections despite unresolved voter lists, widespread public demand for revision, and boycott calls from the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) and the All Assam Gana Sangram Parishad (AAGSP). The Indira Gandhi government prioritised political calculations over safeguarding the state’s ethnic integrity; her government was accused of failing to acknowledge the demographic concerns of Assam while being supportive of illegal migrants, seeing them as a potential future vote bank. Indira Gandhi’s decision, prioritising political expediency over Assamese sentiment, and the Congress leadership pursuing vote-bank politics while turning a blind eye to the demographic concerns of the state ignited some of the darkest chapters in Assam’s history, fostering resentment among Assamese people whose cultural and political rights were being compromised.

The agitation gained momentum on 8 June 1979, following the death of MLA Hiralal Patwari, which prompted scrutiny of electoral rolls and exposed tens of thousands of suspected illegal migrants. AASU and AAGSP led the charge, demanding the detection and deportation of illegal migrants. Their demands were clear: detect illegal migrants, delete their names from electoral rolls, deport those who were not legally citizens of India and protect Assamese identity and political rights. Across the state, people of all communities, tribes, and linguistic groups rallied behind this call. Every Assamese viewed this as their duty to protect Assam.

Economic blockades, statewide protests, and roadblocks became common forms of resistance. In Bhawanipur, students and local residents enforcing a road blockade on National Highway-31 were confronted by Assam Police. Police firing claimed the life of Khargeswar Talukdar, shocking the state and marking a turning point in the movement. His martyrdom became a symbol of Assamese determination, igniting statewide emotion and mobilising citizens in unprecedented numbers.

The years that followed witnessed numerous clashes and confrontations, with many young Assamese sacrificing their lives. Manju Boro, a young girl, died during the 1983 unrest; Tileswar Saikia, a student from the Golaghat district, lost his life defending the movement; Giridhar Borah was killed in anti-election protests; and Babul Kakoti, Deben Das, and Nagen Rajbongshi also fell, each representing the courage and conviction of the Assamese youth.

One particularly tragic incident involved seven young activists from Jamugurihat—Bhupen Deka, Balin Nath, Prasanna Barua, Biren Mishra, Shyam Kundu, Palash Rajbanshi, and Jayram Barua—who were killed while opposing illegal voters and migrants at Lale Tapu. Each name represents a story of courage, belief, and sacrifice. These youths have been honoured as state martyrs and are remembered every year on Swahid Diwas.

Every year, Swahid Diwas serves as a solemn reminder of these sacrifices. It commemorates the six-year-long Assam Movement (1979–1985), a mass uprising rooted in the Assamese people’s determination to protect their identity, language, culture, and demographic stability. The movement was rooted in a genuine fear that unchecked illegal migration from Bangladesh would permanently alter Assam’s social fabric and political rights. The Assamese youths fought the length and breadth of the large-scale, continuous influx of Muslim migrants from Bangladesh that threatened to reduce indigenous communities to a minority, endanger the Assamese language and culture, and distort land ownership, economic opportunities, and electoral outcomes. The concerns were cultural and existential, not communal.

Swahid Diwas is not simply a day of mourning. It not only stands as a reminder of the lives laid down to protect Assam’s language, faith, culture, and land, a legacy of sacrifice, but it is also a day of reflection, gratitude, and reaffirmation. Most importantly, it reminds every new generation that the peace and protections Assam enjoys today are built upon the sacrifices of its Swahids. It is a reminder that a community came together with extraordinary unity; youth, students and ordinary citizens displayed immense courage to fight for preserving identity. It reminds us that identity needs vigilance, that the people of Assam have repeatedly shown unmatched courage and unity and that democracy must protect the voices and rights of indigenous communities.

The Assam Movement remains one of the most defining people’s movements in post-Independence India, a testament to Assam’s cultural resilience and unwavering spirit. Hiding history is a crime. This event is part of Assam’s history that everyone deserves to know.