“I solemnly pledge myself to consecrate my life to service of humanity.” This is the first sentence a doctor utters while taking an oath when s/he enters into the medical profession. They are considered as God by people despite knowing the fact that they are human, as the profession gives ‘hope’ to live to a patient and his family. But due to the increasing number of medico legal issues in the country, there is a serious concern about the doctor-patient relationship. To raise awareness among the patients about their rights and responsibilities as patients and to build up a strong, safe and healthy doctor patient relationship, the Dr. Anamika Ray Memorial Trust has been decided to observe June 25 as Patients’ Rights Day under the “STOP MEDICAL TERRORISM” movement for better and transparent healthcare services in India. The Trust feels happy that a few civil society organisations such as Ahom Sena, Priyobandhu, CLPF etc. have come forward to support the cause and make it a vibrant movement.
The Trust, in consultation with a panel of medical professionals of national and international repute, drafted the Patients’ Rights in 10 points and the responsibilities in another 10 points. The Rights and Responsibilities of the patients will be available at http://smt.armt.in on June 23rd in many languages. It's a two page document. The Trust requests everyone to support the cause by downloading the document in their preferred language, printing it out and distributing it among patients in any hospital in India. The Trust believes that this initiative may save hundreds of lives and will be a great contribution for better and more transparent healthcare services in India. To let others know, the Trust also requests supporters to post a photo of the distribution of the document with #patientsrightsday in any social media.
The rights mentioned in the draft include the right to get the best possible medical care without discrimination; right to prompt, life-saving treatment; right to take part in all decisions relating to one’s health care; right to privacy; right to know the identity and role of people involved in treatment; right to dignity and to have caregivers’ respect; right to appropriate assessment and management of pain; right to receive visitors; right to refuse treatment and to leave the medical centre; and right to get necessary information related to the line of treatment as well as all health records.
The responsibilities mentioned in the draft include the responsibility to refrain from misbehaving and misconduct towards any medical service providers; responsibility to refrain from physical assault of any healthcare personnel or damage to property; responsibility to be truthful; responsibility to provide complete and accurate medical history; responsibility to cooperate with the agreed line of treatment; responsibility to meet the financial obligations; responsibility to refrain from initiating, participating or supporting fraudulent and illegal health care practices; responsibility to report illegal or unethical behaviour; responsibility to get a post-mortem done and responsibility to discuss end of life decisions.
The Trust reiterates that the purpose of the movement is to bring about improvement in health care services in the country through legislation aimed at systemic changes. It is a distant and difficult goal but the movement is determined to succeed so that victims of Medical Terrorism can find justice, so that doctors who wish to and are trying to make a difference through their actions can do so with greater ease, and so that there is greater and justified trust in the relationship between medical professionals and patients. The Trust urges the public not to be swayed by divertive and misleading arguments and to support the movement.
Guwahati, April 3, 2026: The Moung-Dun-Chun-Kham State Demand Committee and the Moung-Dun-Chun-Kham People’s Party on Friday held a press conference at the Dispur Press Club, reiterating their demand for permanent political rights and autonomy for the Tai-Ahom community in Assam.
Addressing the media, representatives of the organisations stated that despite the Tai-Ahom community’s historical and demographic significance, successive governments have failed to provide meaningful constitutional safeguards.
“At present, almost all indigenous communities of Assam… have been raising demands for autonomy or self-determination under the Indian Constitution,” the press release noted,...
A three-day workshop titled “Youth Leaders for Rivers: Learning Workshop” concluded today at the Cachar Club Conference Hall, bringing together young leaders from across the region to collaborate on river governance, water rights and community resilience.
Organized by the North-East Affected Area Development Society (NEADS) with support from the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the event was held from March 24 to 26 under the Youth Basin Ambassadors (YBA) initiative. It aimed to connect youth working across the Ganges–Brahmaputra–Meghna Basin and deepen their understanding of river systems, governance challenges and community-driven solutions.
Participants included...
Tinsukia, March 22: Suspected militants of the banned outfit United Liberation Front of Asom (Independent) (ULFA-I) launched a pre-dawn attack on an Assam Police commando camp in the Jagun area of Tinsukia district, leaving at least four security personnel injured.
According to reports, the militants attacked the camp around 2 a.m., allegedly lobbing several grenades and opening fire with automatic weapons. Security forces retaliated, leading to an exchange of fire that lasted for several minutes before the attackers fled the scene. The injured personnel were later shifted to a hospital in Dibrugarh for treatment.
Following the attack, Army and police units launched a joint...
WWF-India, in collaboration with Samagra Shiksha Assam, felicitated five top-performing schools under the ‘Mission Prakriti’ programme for 2025–26 at a ceremony in Guwahati.
The initiative promotes environmental awareness among students through themes like biodiversity, water, waste, food, and energy. In Assam, the programme covers over 4,700 schools across all districts.
The award-winning schools include Natun Fatasil Town HS (Kamrup Metro), Sakai Khangia High School (Jorhat), Bishnu Jyoti MES (Sonitpur), PM Shri Jamira HS School (Hailakandi), and PM Shri Gossaigaon Girls HS School (Kokrajhar). Tinsukia district was also recognised as the best-performing district.
Officials...
Jorhat: Tirtha Prasad Saikia, Director of the North-East Affected Area Development Society (NEADS), an indigenous civil society organisation based in Jorhat, Assam, has been appointed as the Constituency Focal Point for the People Affected by Conflict and Disaster Constituency of the Asia Pacific Regional CSO Engagement Mechanism (APRCEM).
APRCEM is a regional civil society platform that brings together organisations across Asia and the Pacific to engage with intergovernmental processes on sustainable development, particularly the implementation and review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Through this organisational role,...
SHILLONG, Mar 11: The Meghalaya government has postponed the elections to the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) that were scheduled to be held on April 10, 2026, following violent clashes in West Garo Hills that left two people dead.
Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma announced the decision on Wednesday, saying the state government reviewed the prevailing law-and-order situation in the Garo Hills region before deciding to defer the polls.
The unrest erupted during the nomination process in Chibinang in West Garo Hills, where clashes broke out between groups supporting and opposing the participation of non-tribal candidates in the GHADC elections. Two persons were killed...
The Meghalaya High Court has set aside a controversial notification that made possession of a Scheduled Tribe (ST) certificate mandatory for candidates contesting the upcoming elections to the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC).
Delivering the judgment on March 10, Justice H. S. Thangkhiew ruled that the February 17, 2026 notification issued by the GHADC Executive Committee lacked legal authority and did not follow the procedure required under the Assam and Meghalaya Autonomous Districts (Constitution of District Councils) Rules, 1951.
The court observed that the notification effectively barred non-tribal voters and candidates from participating in the council elections...
TURA, Meghalaya – March 11, 2026: Tensions surrounding the upcoming elections to the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC), scheduled for April 10, have triggered violent clashes in the West Garo Hills district of Meghalaya, leaving two people dead and several others injured. The unrest has also resulted in widespread vandalism and arson in several areas of the district.
The tensions stem from a controversial notification requiring candidates contesting the council elections to possess valid Scheduled Tribe (ST) certificate documentation. The rule has effectively prevented many non-tribal residents—particularly Bengali-speaking Muslims living in the plains belt areas such as...
North East Affected Area Development Society (NEADS), a grassroots development organisation based in Jorhat working with people’s struggles and community development initiatives, observed International Women’s Day at Chumoni Chapori village under the Jhanjimukh area in Jorhat district on Sunday, bringing together local women, community leaders and youth to celebrate the achievements and contributions of women in society.
The programme was organized with the participation of women from riverine communities who shared their experiences, challenges and aspirations for greater social and economic empowerment. The event focused on raising awareness about women’s rights, gender equality and...
A significant milestone for literature from Northeast India has been marked with the publication of The Yellow Metaphor, a collection of poems by Assamese poet Jiban Narah, now released by Penguin Random House India.
The book is a translated anthology of Narah’s poetry and is considered a rare achievement for the region. It is reportedly the first translated poetry collection by a single poet from Northeast India to be published by Penguin, and among only a handful of works in a regional Indian language to receive such recognition from the global publishing house.
The Yellow Metaphor brings together 99 selected poems written over a span of 33 years, reflecting Narah’s long poetic...
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