Last year when the protest against the Citizenship(Amendment) Act had reached its zenith in Assam, the then AASU general secretary, Lurinjyoti Gogoi, in a gathering announced that prevailing situation was conducive for forming a new regional political party that could fulfil the hopes and aspirations of the indigenous people of the state. This year's summer the people of Assam witnessed two new influential political parties, floated separately by some pressure groups namely the All Assam Students' Union(AASU) and the Asom Jatiyatavadi Yuva Chatra Parishad(AJYCP), and the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samity(KMSS) and its allied non-political organizations.
The AASU and the AJYCP have jointly formed the political party known as the Asom Jatiya Parishad(AJP). The Raijor Dal is the other new political party floated by the KMSS and its allied organizations. However, their well-wishers that include some Assamese intellectuals are apprehensive that no party could unseat the BJP-led front from the power in Assam, if the Opposition parties contest separately in the state assembly elections scheduled to be held in 2021. Many people are seen advising the newly formulated regional parties to make a pre-poll alliance between them. Even some have suggested the leaderships of the AJP and the Raijor Dal to form alliance with the Congress and the AIUDF, led by Badaruddin Ajmal. In the meanwhile, the Congress and the AIUDF did a pact to fight jointly in the upcoming assembly elections. These had jointly contested the recently concluded the Bodoland Territorial Council elections. But the election was seen a blow to the both parties as these won only one seat out of total 40.
Girishankar Goswami, the state chief convenor of Raijor Dal, in an exclusive chat with this writer, categorically stated that they would not form any alliance with the Congress and the AIUDF under any circumstances. But he has hoped that the Raijor Dal is hoping to form an alliance with the AJP before the upcoming assembly polls. “ During the six-year-long Assam Movement, more than eight hundreded protestors lost their lives in the police atrocities. Then, the Congress was in the government. So, how could we form an alliance with such a party?”, Goswami added. He has also termed the BJP and the AIUDF as communal parties. The young political leader has also claimed that they have support of the 90 percent indigenous people of the state and tried to translate their support into votes. “We have a strong support base in both the valleys in the state, i.e. the Brahmaputra and the Barak. We hope to fight in the upcoming elections jointly with the AJP”, the leader further said.
It can be noted that the Asom Gana Parishad(AGP), which ruled the state twice was formed in 1985 after the end of the historic Assam Movement. But it failed to fulfill its promises given to the indigenous populace of the state. In the 2016 Assam assembly elections, the AGP formed alliance with the BJP and won 14 seats out of the total 126. But this time the regional party has been facing the most indigenous people's ire.
Assam, a state rich in natural resources, has faced recurring nightmares from its oil and gas industry, with devastating impacts on its people and environment. The Baghjan gas leak of 2020, operated by Oil India Limited (OIL), and the ongoing ONGC gas leak in Sivasagar (June 2025), operated by Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), are stark reminders of the human cost of industrial mishaps. This blog post delves into the profound effects on common people in both incidents, compares their timelines for containment, and highlights the urgency of addressing systemic issues to prevent future tragedies.
The Baghjan Gas Leak (2020): A 173-Day Ordeal
On May 27, 2020, a catastrophic blowout...
The Tai Ahom Indigenous Rights Forum convened its Executive Committee Meeting today at the Tai Educational and Cultural Centre in Boiragimoth, Dibrugarh. The meeting was presided over by Chow Sanjib Rajkonwar, President of the Forum, and saw the active participation of executive members, advisors, and regional representatives from across Assam.
The gathering served as a vital platform to deliberate on the strategic direction of the Forum, with a special focus on aligning the movement for Tai Ahom rights with the principles enshrined in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) 2007. The Forum reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to advocating for the...
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday declined to accept a plea by All BTC Minority Students’ Union (ABMSU) raising concerns over the state’s “indiscriminate” move to detain and deport suspected foreigners.
A Bench of the top court comprising Justices Sanjay Karol and Satish Chandra Sharma asked ABMSU to move the the Gauhati High Court.
In writ petition, the organisation questioned the growing pattern of deportations by the Assam Government through informal “push back” mechanisms, without any judicial oversight or adherence to the safeguards envisaged by the Constitution.
Guwahati: Rains in Assam have stopped. But the water level of the Brahmaputra and its tributaries have yet to recede rendering over 4 lakh people homeless in as many as 17 districts of the state.
In Cachar district alone over 1 lakh been have been rendered homeless because of the 4 day long incessant rains. Sribhumi district also witnessed no less misery of 90,000 people to be followed by Nagaon district where over 65,000 people have been affected.
A huge area of Lakhimpur district has come under the surging water after the Ranganadi dam released its excess water pushing thousands of families in brimful misery. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is on a stock taking visit to the...
Lakhimpur: In the early hours of Saturday, around 1 a.m., the water level of the Ranganadi River began to overflow following the release of dam water from the Panyor Hydroelectric Project by the North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO), located upstream at Yazali in Arunachal Pradesh. The sudden release of water, without any prior warning, submerged vast areas of Assam’s Lakhimpur district, leaving thousands of people in distress.
Many residents were caught unaware in their sleep as the floodwaters entered their homes. People fled with only the clothes they were wearing, leaving behind all belongings. The floodwaters swept through 243 villages across the Ranganadi and Naoboicha...
Thousands of party leaders and workers gave a warm welcome to Gaurav Gogoi as he set foot in Jorhat for the first time since becoming the Assam Pradesh Congress President. Gogoi, son of the late former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, visited his personal residence in Jorhat district. Reflecting on his father's political beginnings in Jorhat, he remarked, “I feel my father’s blessings from wherever he is today. This is a moment of immense joy and gratitude for me. I am thankful to the people of Jorhat.”
Gogoi told the media, “Had I not won the Lok Sabha elections from Jorhat, I don’t think our central leadership would have given me this significant responsibility.”
Upon his arrival from...
New Delhi: The Assam Government’s recent policy for arms license for the indigenous people might lead to the spike in the fake encounter case if one goes by Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi.
Gogoi on Friday strongly slammed the criticised government's decision to grant arms licenses to civilians near border regions and demanded steps to halt the move. According to Gogoi, the policy is detrimental to Assam and its people which instead will serve the interests of the ruling party..
The people of Assam, he said, want water, employment, education and healthcare. He further said the genuine shopkeepers and traders might face difficulties and that the guns would...
Guwahati: There is no chance of an immediate let-up in the weather that dampens Assam.
According to what the weathermen say the weather pattern was anticipated to bring heavy rain, thunderstorms, and gusty winds to many parts of Assam.
A low-pressure area was located over the Northwest Bay of Bengal off the Odisha coast and it is expected to move northwards and concentrate into a depression over the North Bay of Bengal.
The Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) has predicted unrelenting downpours in the city of Guwahati which might aggravate waterlogging situation resulting in slow traffic movement with increasing landslides.
The authorities have urged...
Guwahati: More than half of the areas in the city of Guwahati have come under the rain waters wreaking no less havoc since Thursday. There is no let up in the situation following incessant rainfall during the last 24 hours.
Key areas in the gateway of the north eastern region such as Anil Nagar, Nabin Nagar, Beltola, Rukminigaon, Hatigaon, Wireless and B. Borooah Road have been submerged where streets----big and small have turned into flowing water channels disrupting normal lives.
Hundreds of vehicles have been stranded on the road as homes, offices, shops and markets have submerged in the rain waters. Assam State Disaster Management workers have been engaged to deal with the...
Guwahati: Amid concern over the allegations of arbitrary detention of two ‘identified Bangladeshi nationals’, the Gauhati High Court has asked the Assam government to disclose their whereabouts fearing illegal pushbacks across the Indo-Bangladesh border.
A division bench of Justice Kalyan Rai Surana and Justice Malasri Nandi directive Dispur as they were hearing a writ petition.
According to the petitioner, the duo namely Akbar Ali and Abu Bakkar Siddik were taken into custody by the Nagarbera police station in Kamrup district on May 25 without any information to the families.
It is further alleged that the duo at risk of being "illegally pushed into Bangladesh" without...
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