&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Over 110 arrested in Assam’s Sribhumi during protests against renaming of district")
Over 110 people, including students, teachers, and local residents, were taken into custody in Assam’s Sribhumi district (earlier known as Karimganj) on Saturday (September 6) during demonstrations opposing the government’s decision to rename the district, police officials said. The state cabinet had approved the change in November last year, renaming Karimganj to Sribhumi in reference to Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore’s 1919 visit to the area. Tagore is said to have described the region as “Sribhumi” — the land of Goddess Lakshmi.
After the announcement, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma posted on X, saying the government had “fulfilled a long-standing demand of the people.” But many residents expressed discontent, staging protests against the decision. The chief minister’s recent visit to the district, where he attacked opposition parties, further inflamed tempers and prompted several organisations to call a 12-hour bandh.
The protest began on Saturday morning and quickly created fault lines, with some groups supporting the shutdown and others resisting it. Anticipating violence, the administration imposed restrictions under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). Clashes broke out in Sribhumi town as bandh supporters and opponents faced off.
Police said the situation worsened when protesters turned on security personnel. “Some people, including minors, threw stones at our officials. We had to use lathis to bring the situation under control. A few officers were injured in the process,” said Sribhumi SSP Partha Pratim Das. In Badarpur, a confrontation involving students and teachers of a government college also turned violent, with police personnel allegedly attacked. Several individuals were detained as a preventive measure.
Authorities said sporadic incidents occurred in other parts of the district as well, though they were quickly contained with the help of reinforcements. “All detentions were made under Section 163 of BNSS. Further decisions will be taken after reviewing the situation,” the SSP added.
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