Assam: Violent Clashes Rock Sribhumi During Bandh Over Renaming
Shops, schools, and offices largely remained shut in Badarpur, though the bandh had a partial impact elsewhere.
SRIBHUMI– A 12-hour bandh opposing the Assam government’s decision to rename Karimganj district as Sribhumi spiraled into violent clashes on Saturday, leaving several injured, including police personnel and journalists.
The bandh, called by the Karimganj Zila Naam Paribartan Pratirudh Samiti and supported by the Congress, saw protesters block key stretches of National Highway 37 and NH-6. Demonstrators — mostly students and local residents — set up barricades in Badarpur and Station Road, stranding buses and trucks.
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Tensions escalated when sections of the crowd pelted stones at police, prompting baton charges. Authorities detained over 110 people, mostly students, under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) for violating prohibitory orders.
Shops, schools, and offices largely remained shut in Badarpur, though the bandh had a partial impact elsewhere. Clashes also broke out between bandh supporters and pro-government groups, adding to the chaos.
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Police called it the “work of a small group of instigators” but warned of strict action against violators. Security has been tightened, and the situation was brought under control by evening.
The renaming — justified by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma as a tribute to Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, who once called the region “Sribhumi” — has divided opinion. While some see it as cultural reclamation, others call it an erasure of Karimganj’s heritage.
