Assam Witnesses Statewide Protest as AKRSU Members Clash With Police

The All Koch Rajbongshi Students’ Union (AKRSU) today called a 12-hour shutdown across Assam to protest the baton charge on the activists during yesterday’s massive “joṛ samdal” (mass mobilisation) march in Golakganj.

In Dhubri, the shutdown saw streets deserted, shops closed, and all commercial vehicles off the roads. Protesters set tires ablaze along National Highway 17 in Chagalia, near the Assam-Bangladesh border, highlighting their anger over the police action that left over a hundred men and women injured. The union demanded the transfer of the Golakganj OC and the Dhubri SP, Leena Doley, holding the administration accountable for the crackdown.

In Tamulpur, members of the Koch Rajbongshi Students’ Union (KRSU) staged a protest along the Rangia-Bhutan National Highway, burning an effigy of Assam Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma. Demonstrators raised slogans such as “Down with Assam Police,” “Down with Dhubri Administration,” “We Demand ST Status,” and “Long Live AKRSU,” expressing strong resentment against the state government and police. They also demanded the suspension of the Dhubri District SP.

Similarly, in Chirang's Bijni subdivision, the AKRSU burned an effigy of the Chief Minister to condemn the police crackdown on Golakganj protesters. Slogans like “Betrayal by Himanta Biswa Sarma” and “Misrule by BJP” were raised, reflecting the community’s frustration over the handling of their demands for recognition as a Scheduled Tribe and the creation of a separate Komtapur state.

In Sivasagar, the All-Kamrup Revenue Students’ Union (AKRSU), along with the Anusuchit Chhatra Sanstha and Assam Yuva Chhatra Sanmilan, staged a protest at Daulmukh Chariali. Protesters burned an effigy of the Chief Minister and condemned the police brutality, demanding strict action against the officers involved in the Golakganj baton charge.

The statewide protest followed last night’s events in Dhubri’s Golakganj area, where the Koch Rajbongshi community’s long-simmering demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status erupted into fury. A peaceful protest had ended in a violent police crackdown, leaving the region shaken, its people bloodied, and their anger deeper than ever.

The rally, organised under the banner of the All Koch Rajbongshi Students’ Union (AKRSU) and allied groups, had been intended as a renewed call for justice. Thousands had gathered with placards, slogans, and determination. However, their chants for recognition were met with lathis. Police allegedly launched a sudden baton charge on the swelling crowd, striking indiscriminately. By the time order was restored, nearly a hundred protesters had been injured, some with bleeding heads, while others were carried away by fellow demonstrators to hospitals.

Also Read: Police Lathi-Charge Leaves Koch Rajbongshi Protesters Bloodied in Dhubri