Assault On Protesters Sparks Bandh, Police Officials Suspended
Golakganj, Assam: The All Koch-Rajbongshi Students’ Union (AKRSU) declared a 12-hour bandh on Thursday, taking to streets in Tinsukia and Dhubri districts in Assam, making their decades-long demands for Scheduled Tribe(ST) status. The bandh, which was called in response to police action against students demanding Scheduled Tribe status, has brought parts of the district to a standstill.
The demonstrations had on Wednesday turned violent as police resorted to lathi charges. Several politicians have condemned police action against the protesters. Assam Congress chief Gaurav Gogoi reacted to the incident, calling it a “brutal assault” on Koch-Rajbongshi students who were peacefully voicing their rightful demand for Scheduled Tribe status.
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“This shameful incident exposes the Assam Government’s disregard for the rights and dignity of indigenous communities,” the Congress leader said, adding that chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s indifference towards indigenous people and youth stands exposed.
“The youth of Assam deserves dignity, dialogue, and opportunity, not suppression and neglect,” he wrote on social media platform X.
I strongly condemn the brutal assault on Koch-Rajbongshi students in Golakganj who were peacefully voicing their rightful demand for Scheduled Tribe status.
This shameful incident exposes the Assam Government’s disregard for the rights and dignity of indigenous communities.… pic.twitter.com/MlmpvIstD1
— Gaurav Gogoi (@GauravGogoiAsm) September 11, 2025
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The Bandh called for action against the police personnel involved in Wednesday’s incident against the demonstrators. During the strike, educational institutions, shops and markets downed shutters in several areas, and bandh supporters forced closure at Agomoni Higher Secondary School, sending back teachers and students.
The demonstrators marched through the streets of Talap, Kakopathar, Margherita, and Tinsukia town, demanding ST status and Sixth Schedule autonomy. The demonstrators reminded the BJP government in Assam that it was one of the promises made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2016 but never fulfilled.
