Dibrugarh erupts in protest: 32 local groups demand protection of Assamese rights

Dibrugarh, Sept 2: Dibrugarh witnessed a significant outpouring of public dissent on Monday as 32 local organisations staged a major demonstration advocating for the rights of the indigenous people.

The protest, which echoes similar sentiments expressed in Sivasagar weeks earlier, focused on multiple issues.

Marching through the streets with banners and placards, demonstrators voiced their concerns over a range of issues that included enhanced safety for women, and measures to address land encroachment by non-Assamese communities, among others.

The protestors chanted slogans condemning what they describe as the “depleting state of affairs in Assam”.

One protestor expressed their frustrations, stating, “We want our land and identity protected. The way non-Assamese people are encroaching on our land and ruling as they please must end immediately. To safeguard the identity of the indigenous people of this state, if necessary, we will take matters into our own hands.”

The organisations presented a comprehensive list of 11 demands to the government, highlighting the need to ensure the preservation of Assamese identity.

These demands are as follows:

1. The government should bring a land law for the matter of buying and selling land in Dibrugarh.
   
2. The demand to build an indigenous market to facilitate self-employment of the indigenous people.
3. People who own more than 10 bighas of land should hand over the surplus land to the government and demand that the government take measures to allot the said land to the poor landless indigenous people and take measures to not purchase the Assamese land brought in Dibrugarh.
4. The protestors demanded the closure of business establishments by non-Assamese people.
5. Demand for 100 percent reservation in jobs for Assamese in Dibrugarh district.
6. The protestors have asked every non-Assamese business establishment to have their business’s name in Assamese.
7. The demonstrators asked the non-Assamese community to stop playing loud music during several festivals, including Holi and BolBom.
8. All the non-Assamese living in Dibrugarh district (irrespective of caste, religion, caste, and language) have been asked to coexist with the Assamese people, and further, it also demanded the closure of the non-Assamese organisations in Dibrugarh.
9. They asked the non-Assamese community to restrain themselves from taking any action against indigenous people so that the incidents relating to Sivasagar and Tinsukia don’t repeat.
10. Demand for declaration of 1951 as the base year for identification and deportation of foreigners in Assam.
11. Lastly, they demand the closure of smart meters in the state.