Gauhati University Students Announce Hunger Strike Over Shaheed Bedi Reconstruction

Guwahati: The All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) units of Gauhati University and the University Law College have announced a 12-hour hunger strike on December 15, beginning at 6 am, to press for the reconstruction of the historic Shaheed Bedi (Martyrs’ Memorial) on the university campus.

The Shaheed Bedi, a significant symbol of the Assam Movement, that collapsed during a storm on May 27, 2024, and has since remained in a neglected and dilapidated condition. Student leaders said that despite repeated formal and informal appeals to the university authorities, no concrete steps had been taken to rebuild the memorial, even as other infrastructure projects continued under successive vice-chancellors.

Calling the delay “deeply disrespectful to the legacy of the Assam Movement,” AASU leaders said the hunger strike aims to draw public attention and compel the administration to act without further delay.

Following the announcement of the protest, the university administration stated that the foundation stone for the Shaheed Bedi would be laid on the same day. While terming the move unusual, the students welcomed it as a positive step, but cautioned that any further delay in actual reconstruction would lead to intensified agitation.

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