Mridul’s Death, Intense Protests and What Lies in Front of Opposition in Assam?

In the aftermath of Mridul Islam's death in Guwahati due to police action, intense protests erupted across Assam. The capital city of Guwahati witnessed significant demonstrations led by the Congress, during which several leaders were detained and some reportedly confined to hotel rooms.

Notably, BJP leaders, other than Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, were not overtly visible in responding to the protests. CM Sarma offered a bizarre theory, stating that movements are not the task of political parties; rather, their role is to contest elections. However, his remarks appeared to have gone unnoticed by other BJP leaders, as several of them, including Guwahati MP Bijuli Kalita Medhi, Bhabesh Kalita, and Suman Haripriya, were seen protesting in Guwahati a day later (December 21), after he articulated his theory.

BJP leaders argued that their protests were not political but rather a demonstration by women against Rahul Gandhi's alleged misbehavior towards a female MP.

The CM's comments on the day Congress intensified its protests can be interpreted as an attempt to create obfuscation. However, Mr. Sarma is otherwise well aware of how political parties gain power and the critical role movements and protests play in that process.

The main challenge now lies before the Congress, and by extension, the entire opposition. It is worth noting that the uproar sparked by Amit Shah's controversial remark on Ambedkar has been diverted to the question of whether Rahul Gandhi is guilty of manhandling and misbehaving with fellow MPs.

In Assam, through the lens of Congress—and to an extent, the opposition—the situation is slightly different from the national narrative. Here, the focus is more on the killing of a young Congress worker due to police action. However, the Rahul Gandhi issue is likely to dominate the discourse, overshadowing Mridul Islam's death, the police actions, and the issues highlighted in Congress's protests.

It is also unlikely that Congress can sustain the protests with the same intensity indefinitely, as this could risk alienating even those who sympathize with the deceased.

The seriousness of the issue lies in the fact that a citizen of a democratic country lost his life while participating in a protest due to police action. He was unarmed and raising his voice in a peaceful demonstration. The gravity of the incident cannot be diminished and continues to demand justice.

Had the death not occurred during the protest near Raj Bhavan, it might not have become such a significant issue. It would have been perceived as a routine opposition protest, even if the protesters were dispersed by police. It is inconceivable that Congress orchestrated someone's death during the protest to gain political mileage—such conspiracy theories are far-fetched.

The most visible aspect of this issue, for now, is that it remains largely confined to Congress's protests. Seeking justice for a citizen killed during a peaceful protest should have been a cause taken up by the entire opposition. Neither Congress nor other opposition parties can afford to ignore the strength of a united front.

They must realize that the issue transcends the infighting between Akhil Gogoi and Lurinjyoti Gogoi or the rivalry between Congress and other opposition parties. The fundamental matter is to uphold the democratic right to protest and to secure justice for an unarmed protester who lost his life due to police action.