Activists, member of Parliament, refused to meet rights activist in Assam jail, allege suppression of right to dissent
Following the refusal to a civil society delegation to meet Krishak Multi Sangram Samiti (KMSS) leader Akhil Gogoi in jail in Dibrugadh, Assam, several farmers’ leaders, who have got together under Bhumi Adhikar Andolan (BAA), have decided to raise their voice against “the continued incarceration of Gogoi is a political ploy to completely silence any voice of dissent in Assam today”.
Talking with newspersons in Delhi, they said, they went to meet Gogoi — who has been in jail since September 13 under various charges 120B, 121,124, 109, 153, 153A and under National Security Act since September 25 — on November 12. Hannan Mollah, general secretary, All-India Kisan Sabha, said, Gogoi has been “targeted primarily because he has been raising the voice of the farmers and workers. His activities are all constitutional. He has done nothing unconstitutional. The trumped up charges against him are only an indication of the fascistic tendencies of the Assam government, completely in line with the Central government.”News and view from alternative quarters