Sarupathar, August 31: The agitation by Naga groups along the Assam-Nagaland border has seen a sharp increase, severely disrupting the lives of local Assamese residents. The escalating unrest has been marked by repeated claims over Assam’s land by Naga factions, including demands for shares of farmers' crops and intimidation of villagers in border areas such as Uriamghat's Raja Pukhuri No. 1 village. The Naga groups assert that the land belonged to their forefathers and call for recognition of their rights, demanding contracts and taxes from Assamese farmers cultivating the disputed land.
Following eviction drives by the Assam government to reclaim encroached lands, Naga activists have intensified their encroachments and escalated tensions with direct confrontations, threats, and even firing incidents, causing insecurity and fear among the Assamese villagers. Despite the presence of CRPF troops in sensitive areas, clashes and confrontations have persisted. Social media videos have shown Naga groups pressing villagers for agreements and threatening consequences if their demands are not met.
Local Assamese residents emphasize their historic presence and reject Naga claims on the land. They underline that none have paid taxes to Nagaland authorities and vow to protect their ancestral territories. The continued onslaught by Naga groups against Assamese farmland and homes, including previous incidents of arson and violence, has created a critical security situation that Assam's government has yet to conclusively address.
The situation remains volatile, with fears that failure to take strong, effective action may lead to further escalation and deepening hostility in the border areas. The unrest has plunged Assamese border communities into anxiety and calls for urgent intervention to ensure peace, security, and the protection of farmers’ rights in the region.
In Assam, the land of the Brahmaputra, tea gardens, and vibrant indigenous cultures, a troubling pattern has emerged. The state’s push for development—solar plants, thermal power stations, cement factories, and urban restoration—has come at a devastating cost to its original inhabitants, the Khilonjiya. These indigenous communities, including Karbi, Bodo, Dimasa, and Adivasi, are being displaced from their ancestral lands to make way for wealthy industrialists and corporate giants like Adani. While rich outsiders are welcomed with open arms, the Khilonjiya bear the burden of uprooted lives, lost livelihoods, and erased heritage. This blog chronicles few recent land disputes, exposing the...
Guwahati: Expressing concern over the Sivasagar crude-oil well gas leakage in the last few days, a northeast India based forum of graduate engineers have urged both Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) and Oil India Limited (OIL) to come clear about the so-called ‘abandoned’ wells, which have the potential to harm human life, property and environment, as the concerned private parties operating such wells often do not come forward to take responsibility. All Assam Engineers Association (AAEA), in a statement, also appealed to the Union government in New Delhi to hold the concerned ONGC/OIL officials accountable for any disaster at an oil or gas well after having declared it '...
On May 26, 2025, Gaurav Gogoi, a three-time MP and son of former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, was appointed President of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC). His appointment marked a generational shift in Assam’s Congress leadership and was seen as a strategic move to reinvigorate the party ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections. Gogoi’s clean image, recent Lok Sabha victory from Jorhat by a margin of 1.44 lakh votes, and appeal among youth positioned him as a serious contender against Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
Gogoi's appointment replaces Bhupen Kumar Borah and is backed by a team of working presidents including Jakir Hussain Sikdar, Roselina Tirkey, and Pradip Sarkar....
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...
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