Guwahati: Prominent activist, Raijor Dal Chief and Sivasagar MLA Akhil Gogoi on Monday demanded the immediate release of two detained leaders from allied organizations, alleging their arrests were arbitrary and aimed at stifling dissent during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to the state.
The detentions of Bidyut Saikia, General Secretary of the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS), and Pintu Gogoi, President of the Central Committee of the Satra Mukti Sangram Samiti (SMSS), occurred yesterday, reportedly in connection with a “Black Flag Protest” in Golaghat on the eve of Modi’s arrival.
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This incident unfolds against a backdrop of intensifying demands for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for six indigenous communities, greater control over Assam’s land and resources, and the scrapping of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), issues that have long fueled unrest in the region.
According to statements attributed to Akhil Gogoi, a veteran activist and founder of the KMSS, the arrests represent a crackdown on peaceful protest.
“From yesterday, Assam Police has been keeping Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti’s General Secretary Bidyut Saikia and Satra Mukti Sangram Samiti’s president Pintu Gogoi in custody. We demand their release,” Gogoi said on Monday.
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Pintu Gogoi, in a statement released on Sunday, detailed his detention and framed it as an infringement on basic rights. “I was arrested without any reason, just for standing in front of my house, by Golaghat Sadar Police Station’s OC Mintu Handikoi. Where is democracy? Where is our right to live? How can anyone be arrested without an arrest warrant?” Gogoi questioned.
He directly linked the protest to broader grievances, stating, “The six indigenous communities of Assam must be granted Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. Assam must be given rights over its land and resources. The CAA must be scrapped. I told this directly to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the liar PM.”
The arrests reportedly stem from the duo’s leadership in the Black Flag Protest in Golaghat, a symbolic demonstration against Modi’s policies, particularly the CAA and perceived neglect of indigenous rights. Black flag protests have historical precedence in Assam, often used to signal opposition during high-profile visits.
For instance, similar demonstrations occurred during Modi’s 2019 visit to the state over the Citizenship Bill.
This latest protest coincided with Modi’s itinerary, which included inaugurating India’s first bamboo-based bioethanol plant in Numaligarh, Golaghat district, on September 14, and laying the foundation for a Rs7,230 crore polypropylene unit as part of a broader Rs18,530-crore development push in Assam.
During his addresses in Darrang and Golaghat, Modi focused on themes of energy self-reliance, infiltration concerns, and demographic changes, accusing the Congress party of facilitating illegal migration for vote-bank politics rhetoric that critics say exacerbates tensions with indigenous groups.
Assam Police have not issued an official statement on the matter, and attempts to reach OC Mintu Sandikoi for comment were unsuccessful.
This lack of transparency raises questions about due process, echoing Pintu Gogoi’s allegations of arrest without a warrant.