Assam's political landscape witnessed a fresh wave of agitation this week as Akhil Gogoi, the prominent leader of the Raijor Dal and former minister in the previous United Progressive Alliance government in the state, launched an indefinite hunger strike in the capital city of Dispur. The protest is squarely focused on what Gogoi calls the state government's inadequate response to flood-affected communities across Assam.
Gogoi has demanded that every family that lost its home or property during the devastating floods be compensated with ₹10 lakh from the state exchequer. He has set up a makeshift camp outside the residence of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and declared the strike will continue until the government agrees to his terms. The Raijor Dal leader described the current compensation framework as "insulting" and argued that the amounts currently being disbursed do not reflect the scale of destruction faced by vulnerable households.
The floods in question have been among the worst in recent memory for Assam, displacing lakhs of people and leaving entire villages underwater. Reports from affected districts indicate massive destruction of pucca and kutcha houses, loss of livestock, and damage to standing crops across the Brahmaputra and Barak river basins. Medical camps have been set up in relief camps, and the government has acknowledged the severity of the disaster, but Gogoi contends that the rehabilitation package falls far short of what is needed.
Critics of the demand have pointed out that ₹10 lakh per family would represent a significant financial burden on the state treasury, especially one already grappling with flood relief expenditures and infrastructure rebuilding costs. However, Gogoi and his supporters argue that the compensation should match the Centre's disaster relief guidelines and go beyond them, given the repeated and compounding nature of flooding in the state.
The hunger strike has drawn attention from opposition parties and civil society groups, though responses have been mixed. Some have publicly backed the demand, while others have urged dialogue rather than confrontation. As of now, no formal response has been issued by the Chief Minister's office regarding the specific compensation demand.
