The Assam government has invoked the National Security Act against land rights activist Pranab Doley, who was arrested in july 12 amid protests against a luxury hotel project in Kaziranga. The government states that his activities are “prejudicial to the maintenance of public order as well as security of the state”.
His arrest had intensified protests in the Kaziranga region where Aadivasi families are resisting the hotel project on agricultural land the community claims they have cultivated for generations,
Hyatt luxury hotel project at Inglay Pathar near Kaziranga National Park
After being remanded to seven days of police custody, he was presented to Bokakhat Magistrate Court amid heavy police presence on July 20. He was then denied bail and sent to judicial custody.
Four other activists, Amit Nag, Bijit Kutum, Bhaskar Saikia and Rajib Pegu, were also arrested in the case.
On July 15, the Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma defended the hotel project, saying that it would help the tourism economy and create employment.
Local residents are unconvinced. They said that the land belongs to around 45 Adivasi families and demanded the release of the activists.
The government has now invoked the NSA. The state government issued the order while Deoley was still in district jail, citing a report by SSP Golahat.
The order against him states that the government “has considered the nature, gravity, frequency and potential consequences of the activities attributed to the detenue and is satisfied that there is a real and imminent possibility of the detenue continuing to indulge in activities prejudicial to the maintenance of public order and security of the State, if he is not prevented from doing so.”
The NSA allows the governemnt to detain anyone without a formal charge or trial to prevent future harmful acts. The person can be detained for upto a year.
In the FIR against him, police alleged that Doley and “about fifty other persons” “trespassed” to the project site “in a pre-planned manner, being armed with deadly weapons like machete, sharp sticks, etc” They said that he assaulted police personnel, instigated the crowd and threatened further agitation among other allegations.
Doley has protestsing the propsed hotel arguing that the project threatenes the area's fragile ecology. The protests have been ongoing since 2022. Indigenous residents of Golaghat have protested saying that the land was forcibly acquired from them.
