Guwahati: Clashes on I-Day as Jyoti Kendra Teachers Blocked from Meeting CM

Independence Day celebrations in Guwahati were marred by chaos on Friday when police stopped protesting teachers of Jyoti Kendra from meeting Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma at Khanapara.

Munmun Chetia, chairperson of the Jyoti Kendra Shiksha Karmi Santha, has been on an indefinite hunger strike for the past 24 days and is reported to be in critical condition. Despite her deteriorating health, protestors alleged that no ambulance or medical assistance was initially provided. Only after the confrontation began did a doctor arrive at the protest site.

The situation turned violent when police allegedly resorted to pushing, shoving, and lathicharge to stop the protestors. Two demonstrators from Silsako — Manjila Begum and Hafizur Rahman — sustained injuries and were taken to Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) for treatment. Several women claimed they were manhandled by male officers, with allegations that parts of their clothing were forcibly removed during the scuffle.

“Today the indigenous people have woken up, we Silsako people have woken up,” one woman protestor said. “From today, if extreme protests happen, the government will be responsible. This is Independence Day, yet the police opened the clothes of us women. What justice is this? Without permission they started lathicharge. Who gave them the right? Male cops raised their hands against women — my hands are fractured.”

Another protestor said, “We wanted to go peacefully and democratically to the Chief Minister in Khanapara. For 24 days we have been protesting. We just wanted to discuss our demands, but the police stopped us forcefully.”

The confrontation unfolded just as the state’s official Independence Day programme was underway at Khanapara’s Veterinary College Field.

It has now been over 24 days since the teachers of Jyoti Kendras across Assam — under the banner of the Jyoti Kendra Shiksha Karmi Santha — began their protest in Guwahati. Since July 23, the government has not held any talks with the demonstrators.

Teachers from various centres are demanding a hike in salaries, an extension of the retirement age to 60 years, and permanent appointments for contractual educators. Many have served in temporary roles for years, surviving on minimal pay without benefits or job security.

Jyoti Kendras, established under the Sarba Siksha Abhiyan (SSA), provide schooling for children from marginalised communities and those engaged in child labour. However, these centres have long struggled with delayed salaries, irregular payments, and uncertainty over the future of their staff.

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