Today, November 11, Protest erupts at Assam’s Dibrugarh and Tinsukia districts as Moran and Mottock communities demands of Scheduled Tribe status, after long delays in the approval process.
The protestors blocked the roads with uprisings, burned tires on the streets. In reaction to this, the authorities locally declared both districts as a closed district. Local administration gave suggestions to maintain the protest manageable and end the street violence, which also involved bandh on November 11, 2024, called by the student bodies like AMSU and AAMYCS, who declared 12 hours of shutdown in Dibrugarh and Tinsukia to attract some attention to the seriousness of the situation.
A day before the protests, the Dibrugarh District administration came out with a notification for a bandh slated for November 11, 2024.
To avoid further disruption of the population, Dibrugarh District Commissioner Bikram Kairi issued a prohibitory order restricting unauthorized protests, roadblocks and tyre burnings. Those violating the order will be brought before the court, stated the administration.
Tinsukia district officials also referred to Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, prohibiting such congregations and protest. There was also a helpline established to help citizens threatened or whose lives were affected by the protests. This helpline was available from 5:00 AM to 5:00 PM in the evening. Police and magistrates were stationed in each area of the district to safeguard the public and bring back normalcy.
Agitation by Moran Students’ Union intensified at Digboi on Sunday as they torched effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Tribal Affairs Minister of Union Jual Oram, and Assam’s Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. Protestors condemned what they termed a government not taking adequate action to fulfill the longstanding demand for ST status.
