Asomiya Yuva Mancha Protests Naga “Dadagiri” Along Assam-Nagaland Border

The Asomiya Yuva Mancha (AYM) has taken a determined stance against what it calls the continuing “dadagiri” of Nagas along the Assam-Nagaland border. On Thursday, over a hundred members of the organisation held a protest at Merapani, asserting that the Assamese will no longer tolerate incursions or intimidation on their land.

The protest focused on three main demands: ending Naga dominance along the border, reclaiming Assamese land encroached upon by Nagas, and providing land titles to residents of Merapani. The demonstrators initially attempted to move toward Nagaland but were stopped by the police. Undeterred, AYM organized a protest meeting on the road connecting Assam to Nagaland, issuing a final warning to Nagas to respect Assam’s border.

Akash Saikia, Joint Secretary of AYM, said: "We urge our Chief Minister, just as he has evicted illegal Bangladeshis, to similarly address Naga encroachment on the Assam-Nagaland border. We are controlling ourselves because the CM has asked us not to take the law into our own hands. But if Nagas take rifles in their hands, we will also take machete (dao) in ours. Assam’s government will be responsible if matters escalate. We have been demanding for years that the border issue be resolved. With the BJP in power at both the state and center, the CM has the capacity to solve this. Arunachal has Arunachali dominance, Meghalaya has Meghalayan dominance, Nagaland has Naga dominance—why should Assam not have Assamese dominance? The day came when a police officer had to plead with Nagas to go away. What kind of situation is this? Honourable CM, please act. We are with you, otherwise we will be forced to take the law into our own hands."

Jadhav Gogoi, President of AYM, added: "We are warning Nagaland and its people. Assam’s CM must resolve this border issue. What is this dadagiri of the Nagas—torturing Assamese people, taking tax from Assamese citizens, dominating Assam’s land? How many Nagas have Assamese people beaten? Every time it is Nagas beating Assamese citizens. The border issue must be resolved immediately."

During the protest, AYM members clashed briefly with police when they attempted to maintain their march. The demonstration, attended also by Jadhav Gogoi, underscored the organization’s determination to assert Assamese rights while officially respecting the law—for now.

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