In a powerful grassroots uprising, hundreds of farmers and villagers from Doyang in Assam’s Golaghat district staged a mass protest today, demanding protection of their ancestral agricultural lands in the Merapani Seed Farm area from what they allege is ongoing “encroachment” by neighboring Nagaland.
With slogans, placards, and unyielding determination, the protestors defied legal notices, administrative advisories, and what they called “political pressure and conspiracies” to silence their voices. The Merapani region, a long-disputed border zone between Assam and Nagaland, has once again emerged as a flashpoint in the broader inter-state boundary conflict.
“For generations, our livelihoods have depended on these lands,” said one farmer, “but now, we are being forced to fight for our very existence.”
Despite warnings from the Assam government and Golaghat district authorities—including legal advisories discouraging the gathering—residents marched on, united in their call for urgent action. Their demands center on:
- An immediate halt to alleged land encroachment by Nagaland
- Permanent security for Assam’s borderlands
- Transparent governmental intervention on a long-ignored issue
Protestors voiced their frustration at what they described as the “deafening silence” of political leaders and bureaucratic inaction over a conflict that has simmered for decades.
In response to the mounting tensions, Golaghat’s Border Magistrate Ratul Roy and Additional Superintendent of Police John Das arrived on site and held talks with the demonstrators. After receiving assurances that their concerns would be escalated to senior state officials for swift resolution, the farmers agreed to temporarily suspend their protest. However, they issued a firm warning: if action isn’t taken soon, they will return with greater strength.
This demonstration marks a significant moment in the ongoing Assam-Nagaland border dispute and underscores growing rural frustration over land rights, administrative inaction, and state accountability.
