After over a day of detention, Assam Mojuri Shramik Union (AMSU) General Secretary Mrinal Kanti Shome was finally released on May 23, 2022 night. However, the AMSU reported that another member Dharitri Sarma was detained at Silchar Sadar police station during a protest outside the District Magistrate’s office.
At 3 PM on May 22, the local police picked up Shome from his house under the pretext of a meeting with the Superintendent of Police (SP). However, instead of a meeting, Shome went through medical testing procedures at the station.
When his wife asked the SP about this, the police said Shome was being interrogated. Until the end, the AMSU said the police did not explain the reason for the detainment nor did it produce a record of the same.
“All of this was only to mentally harass and pressure me. I have no past allegations against me,” Shome told SabrangIndia.
The local trade union leader has been at the forefront of the Doloo Tea Estate workers protest against the Greenfield Airport project. The development plan is to be set up on a part of the estate that could affect workers’ livelihood.
To voice solidarity with Shome, many workers and supporters gathered outside the District Magistrate’s office to protest the detention. Various progressive group members assembled to decry the administration for their undemocratic move to silence trade unions. It was during this protest that Sarma was arbitrarily detained.
“We were protesting democratically from the beginning where the airport is supposed to be built and we are protesting democratically till today and we will,” said a worker present at the protest.
He pointed out that despite public hearings, the land under disrupte was razes by bulldozers. He warned that if Shome is not released, the movement will become stronger.
Similarly, others questioned why the government refuses to listen to protesting workers if it claims to be interested in workers’ consent.
Following Shome’s release, the AMSU has called for a press conference on Tuesday evening.
Recently, even other tribal groups like the All India Union of Forest Working People (AIUFWP) and even the Bhoomi Adhikar Andolan voiced their support for the workers. According to The Assam Tribune, a delegation of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) led by Opposition leader Debabrata Saikia accused the BJP-led state government of dishonouring the Opposition and “marring the spirit of democracy”.
The group and local MLA Misbahul Islam Laskar were stopped by local police from entering the garden. To condemn this, the group staged a protest at Udharbond against the restriction by the authorities.
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