‘Samay Paribartanor Yatra’ Enters Assam's Tinsukia; Gaurav Gogoi Targets BJP Over Land, Governance Issues

Guwahati: The second phase of the ‘Samay Paribartanor’ (Time for Change) Yatra, launched by the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC), entered Tinsukia district on Sunday. Led by APCC President Gaurav Gogoi, the yatra covered the Tinsukia, Digboi, Makum and Margherita constituencies through a series of padyatras (foot marches), drawing sizeable crowds across Upper Assam.

Set to the campaign song — “Ali kati jali dim, Borpeera pari dim / Eibar Congress sarkar ani dim / Eibar sokolowe hatotei vote dim” — the march sought to energise party workers and mobilise public support ahead of the upcoming elections.

Addressing supporters upon arrival in Tinsukia, Gogoi described the yatra as more than a political campaign. “This is not just a journey for change; it is a journey of unity and self-respect for the people of Assam. It is a movement of hope for unemployed youth and a struggle to free the state from authoritarian rule,” he said.

At the outset, Gogoi paid floral tributes to statues of freedom fighter Subhas Chandra Bose, martyr Piyoli Phukan, and cultural icon Bhupen Hazarika.

Later in the day, the yatra reached Doomdooma, where local Congress workers extended a warm welcome. Marching through the town’s main roads and culminating in a public meeting at Kaliyapani Chariali, Gogoi said the people of Assam now aspire for a peaceful and progressive “Bor Asom” rather than a climate of fear and intimidation.

Launching a sharp attack on the ruling BJP government, Gogoi alleged that governance in Assam has become centred around “one individual and the development of a single household.” He further claimed that nearly 12,000 bighas of land had been registered in the names of members of one family during the present government’s tenure. “We will continue to raise our voice against such injustice,” he asserted.

He also criticised the closure of government schools while liquor shops were being opened in rural areas and expressed concern over the declining condition of Assam’s tea industry. “The Congress wants the people of Assam to live in peace, harmony and dignity. We want citizens to be fearless and outspoken like Zubeen Garg,” Gogoi said.

Expressing confidence in the party’s prospects, he said the people of Assam would fight back democratically and pave the way for a Congress-led government where citizens could live without fear.

Addressing the gathering, Leader of the Opposition in the Assam Legislative Assembly Debabrata Saikia alleged that despite repeated demands from poor families for land pattas, the government had failed to provide land rights even after launching the Basundhara schemes. Instead, he claimed, land revenue rates had been increased multiple times.

The yatra subsequently moved towards the Digboi and Margherita constituencies, continuing to receive enthusiastic public participation. Throughout the day, Tinsukia district echoed with the campaign slogan: “Ali kati jali dim, Borpeera pari dim, Eibar Congress sarkar ani dim.”

Among the prominent leaders accompanying the march were MP Pradyut Bordoloi, former Jharkhand Minister Bandhu Tirkey, APCC Vice-President and former MLA Dilip Moran, APCC Secretary and former MLA Raju Sahu, and Tinsukia District Congress President and two-time Doomdooma MLA Durga Bhumij, along with several other senior party leaders.

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