Violence Erupts in Assam Over Renaming from Karimganj
Stone pelting, lathi charge as protesters block NH-37; district administration appeals for calm
- Bandh in Assam’s Sribhumi over renaming from Karimganj turns violent.
- Protesters block NH-37; police, journalists injured in stone pelting.
- Security forces use lathi charge; repeated blockades reported.
- Schools, shops remain shut; life disrupted in Badarpur area.
- Renaming move announced by CM Himanta Biswa Sarma in Nov 2024.
GG News Bureau
Guwahati, 6th Sept: Assam’s Sribhumi district witnessed violent clashes on Saturday as a bandh was observed against the government’s decision to rename the district from its erstwhile Karimganj.
Protesters, including students and Congress workers, blocked National Highway 37 at major intersections such as Badarpur College and Station Road, halting passenger buses and goods trucks. The situation escalated when sections of the crowd allegedly began stone pelting, leaving several police personnel and journalists injured.
Security forces resorted to lathi charges to disperse the agitators, but demonstrators regrouped and staged repeated blockades, triggering fresh confrontations. With commercial establishments and schools shut, normal life came to a standstill in Badarpur and adjoining areas.
Officials said that while many had gathered for peaceful demonstrations, a section of the protesters instigated violence. The Sub-Divisional Officer of Sribhumi rushed to the spot to oversee the situation and appealed for restraint.
The unrest follows Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s November 2024 announcement that Karimganj would be renamed Sribhumi in honour of Rabindranath Tagore. The state government said the renaming was intended to “reflect the expectations and aspirations of the people of the district.”
