Thousands of indigenous people from different corners of Assam are preparing to gather in Guwahati on October 12 to hold a massive demonstration against land evictions and to demand secure land rights. The protest is being organized as a response to what many describe as years of broken promises and growing anger over the alleged transfer of indigenous lands to large corporate groups.
The protestors said the rally will not just be about land rights, but also about the continuing eviction drives in areas such as Borduar, Umrangso, Kaziranga, and parts of Barak Valley. Many of these regions, they claimed, have witnessed large-scale displacement of indigenous communities in the name of development projects.
Several indigenous organizations have accused the Assam government, led by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, of failing to uphold its pre-election promise of “Jati, Mati, Bheti” — a pledge to protect the identity, land, and home of the Assamese people. “Instead of giving land to the indigenous people, the government has handed over large areas to corporate houses like Adani and Ambani,” one of the organizers said. “This is against the very spirit of what was promised to us.” 
Residents from Borduar, Karbi Anglong, Dima Hasao, and parts of the Kaziranga area allege that their lands have been taken over for industrial and township projects. They said that even the Asian Development Bank-funded Borduar Satellite Township project has not benefitted the locals as promised. Protesters claimed that whenever people tried to raise their voices against such actions, their movements were either ignored or suppressed.
The demonstrators also plan to raise the issue of delayed justice for the late singer Zubeen Garg, saying that the government has not responded adequately to public concerns over his death. “We will demand justice for Zubeen Garg along with our land rights,” another protester said.
Organizers said that thousands of people from tribal and indigenous communities, including Rabha Hasong, Karbi, Dimasa, and Tiwa groups, will take part in the protest. The rally will begin from the Last Gate area and is expected to move through several key points in the city before ending at Dispur, where a memorandum will be submitted to the state government.
“This protest is not political. It is about survival,” said one community leader. “We are not against development, but development cannot come by taking away our homes and farmlands. We only want the right to live with dignity on our own land.”
