Assam: Protest in Biswanath against coalition with Sonitpur district

Tezpur (Assam): Opposition parties and some social groups organized a protest march in Biswanath city on Tuesday against the Assam government’s move to merge Biswanath district with Sonitpur and demanded immediate cancellation of the decision.

Congress, Assam Jatiya Parishad, Aam Aadmi Party, Trinamool Congress, CPI(M), CPI(ML) and Raijor Dal took part in the protest, which started from Swahid Bhawan and police point on National Highway 15. ended on

All Assam Students Union (AASU), Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuva Chhatra Parishad (AJYCP), Gorkha Students Union and Sangrami Yuva Chhatra also joined the protest which lasted for several hours.
On 31 December, the Assam Cabinet approved the administrative merger of Biswanath district with Sonitpur.

Biswanath was separated from Sonitpur and made a separate district in August 2015.

In the cabinet meeting, the state government also decided to merge Hojai with Nagaon district, Tamulpur with Baksa district and Bajali with Barpeta district.
Protesters in Biswanath town raised slogans against the BJP-led Assam government and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and termed the decision to end the district status against public opinion.

We will not accept this decision of the government. Let them practice their range, we don’t care. We want our district back immediately,” said AASU Biswanath president Bikram Bikash Bora.
He submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister through the local administration and demanded the annulment of the decision.

The decision to merge the districts came a day before the Election Commission banned the creation of new administrative units in Assam from January 1, 2023, as the polling panel will exercise delimitation in the state.
In the state cabinet meeting held in New Delhi, the administrative boundaries of some villages and some towns were also changed.

Protests were also held in Nalbari and Darrang districts for inclusion of some places in the two districts into the Bodoland Territorial Region.