Bokakhat/Barpeta: The arrest of indigenous rights activist Pranab Doley has intensified protests in Assam’s Kaziranga region, where Adivasi families are resisting the construction of a proposed hotel project on agricultural land they claim to have cultivated for generations.Doley, convenor of the Greater Kaziranga Land and Human Rights Protection Committee (GKLHRPC), was arrested on July 12 in connection with protests against the proposed Hyatt luxury hotel project at Inglay Pathar near Kaziranga National Park. After being remanded to seven days of police custody, he was presented to Bokakhat Magistrate Court amid heavy police presence on July 20, denied bail and sent to judicial custody. Four other activists – Amit Nag, Bijit Kutum, Bhaskar Saikia and Rajib Pegu – were also arrested in connection with the case. Nag had previously contested the Assam assembly elections from the Khumtai constituency. “The bail petition filed on July 13 was rejected because the police had invoked Section 326(g) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, a sessions-triable offence. The accused were subsequently remanded to seven days of police custody and that the police had also added Section 3(1) of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act. Again on July 21, Bhaskar Saikia and Rajib Pegu were taken in police remand for another two days and later sent to judicial custody on July 23,” lawyer Mrityunjay Pegu told The Wire.A political flashpointThe project has become a political flashpoint. Raijor Dal MLA Akhil Gogoi has repeatedly protested against the arrests and the proposed land acquisition, accusing the government of suppressing indigenous voices.Meanwhile, on July 15, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma defended the project, arguing that the establishment of a five-star hotel near Kaziranga would strengthen the tourism economy and create employment opportunities. But many local residents remain unconvinced. The arrests have fuelled protests in Bokakhat. Demonstrators are demanding the immediate release of the arrested activists and the return of the disputed land, which local residents say belongs to around 45 Adivasi families.Pranab Doley was presented to Judicial Magistrate Court in Bokakhat amid heavy police presence on July 20. Photo: Kazi Sharowar Hussain.On September 25, 2023, Assam government signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Hyatt Group of Hotels, announcing that a five-star hotel would be built near Kaziranga. Since the announcement, locals have expressed concerns that the project could harm the fragile ecosystem of Kaziranga, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Inglay Pathar, the proposed site for the hotel project, is revered locally as a “playground for elephants.” Situated near the Kohora Range of Kaziranga National Park, the area has traditionally served as an important habitat and movement corridor for elephants and forms part of the broader landscape protected under UNESCO’s World Heritage designation.How the land changed handsCo-existing with the animals, the Adivasi families have collectively cultivated paddy on the land for decades. Residents claim they possess land documents and have paid land patta (ownership) revenue for years. According to community members, the government stopped collecting revenue in 2023, after which they learned that the land had been transferred to the Assam Tourism Development Corporation (ATDC) for a proposed luxury tourism project.Locals allege that authorities initially occupied the land, saying it was for a piggery. Later, the residents found that the acquisition was in fact for a luxury hotel project. A police outpost, they add, was later established in the middle of the fields and construction work began under police protection.A ‘no entry’ sign erectedGeeta Gowala, 36, did not go to school. Her parents were labourers in the tea gardens and could not afford to educate their children. She now works as a temporary labourer in the tea gardens and takes up occasional jobs at nearby hotels and resorts to supplement her income when work is scarce. However, as her earnings remained insufficient to support her family, she turned to farming and began cultivating 12 bighas (one-third of an acre to one acre) of her ancestral land.In May 2026, she arrived to find a “no entry” sign erected on the land, which was surrounded by police personnel. When she attempted to remove the sign, policewomen prevented her from doing so. The confrontation was streamed on social media and quickly went viral. Following the incident, Bokakhat police detained her at Kohora Police Station, accusing her of obstructing police officials in the discharge of their duty. Geeta, one of the women at the forefront of the demonstrations, said Doley has been supporting the community since the beginning of the dispute over land acquisition began. She explained that many residents are not formally educated and are unfamiliar with official procedures, which is why they came to rely on him as a leader who could navigate bureaucratic processes and speak up against injustice.Protest site in Bokakhat on July 20. Photo: Kazi Sharowar Hussain.“Pranab Doley is one of the strongest voices for us,” Geeta said. “We trust him because he understands the law and government procedures. That is why he was arrested. The government wants to do whatever it wants with our land, and with him out of the way, they think we will be left without anyone to speak for us.”For the last 15 days, Geeta has been participating in demonstrations demanding the release of Doley and the other activists and the return of her land.She challenged Sarma’s argument that a luxury hotel would benefit local people. “Tourists come to Kaziranga to enjoy its natural beauty. They come to see the animals, experience the culture and taste the local food. They do not come here to stay in a five-star hotel. They already have such hotels in the cities,” she said.Geeta also dismissed claims that the project would generate employment for local residents.“When the hotel is built, they will bring their own people. They will bring their own vehicles for safari. They will not use our vehicles or give jobs to any local drivers. Where is the benefit for us?” she asked. “If you want to build a five-star hotel, build it on your own land, not on ours. We will not give you this land,” she said. Geeta Gowala in Bokakhat on June 18. Photo: Kazi Sharowar Hussain.Another resident, Mrinali Gowala, 36, an Adivasi farmer and one of the leading protestors in Bokakhat, says her family owns seven bighas of land in Inglay Pathar. Speaking to The Wire she said that their fields feed not just her family, but also the elephants of Kaziranga. She said, “We have always coexisted with the animals. The elephants frequently enter our fields and feed on the paddy.”“If a hotel is built here, will the animals still be able to live and move freely?” Mrinali asked, drenched in rain at the protest site. According to her, no consultation took place before authorities moved to take control of the land. “The government never held a meeting with the community. They simply took possession of our land,” she alleged, “The Government thinks we will stop our protest out of fear. But we won’t. We will fight until our leaders are released and the construction of a hotel on our land is stopped.” In June, 20 affected families approached the Gauhati high court challenging the proposed acquisition. The court sought a response in four weeks from the Assam Tourism Development Corporation (ATDC) in response to the petition filed by Adivasi farmers who claim the land is their ancestral agricultural land.‘They forced us to accept cheques’After Doley and others’ arrest, Assam cabinet minister and Bokakhat MLA Atul Bora held a press conference on July 13, stating that the government had taken steps to rehabilitate all affected tea garden workers. He claimed that those who had initially raised concerns had accepted the rehabilitation package offered by the government, reported India Today NE. However, the affected Adivasi residents disputed Bora’s claims. They alleged that the Golaghat district administration had distributed around seven cheques of Rs 3 lakh each from the Assam CM’s Relief Fund. According to the residents, the cheques were distributed without any accompanying documentation or formal agreement. They also alleged that they are being pressurised to accept the money and hand over their lands.Inglay Pathar– the proposed site for the hotel project. Photo: Kazi Sharowar Hussain.In a video circulated over social media, Doley is seen holding one of the cheques reportedly received by a resident. He alleges that the circle officer of Bokakhat and other intermediaries gathered people during the night and coerced them to accept the cheques. In another video accessed by The Wire, several cheque recipients from the area, who claim to own land at Ingaly Pathar, say that they were informed they would not receive their lands or any compensation in the future if they refused to accept the cheques at the time.Human rights groups express solidaritySince the arrests, several human rights organisations have condemned the move. UN experts have also expressed concern and demanded the activists’ immediate release.At the protest site in Bokakhat, several organisations and student bodies have extended support to the affected Adivasi people.Bikram Hanse, a leader of the All Party Hills Leaders’ Conference (APHLC), who joined the protest on July 28, told The Wire that Kaziranga is home to many indigenous communities, including Mising, Karbi and Adivasi people. He said many of these communities have lived in the region peacefully for generations, but the government now seeks to evict them in the name of development.Mrinali Gowala in Bokakhat on July 20. Photo: Kazi Sharowar Hussain.“We are not against development. But we must oppose the kind of development in which our indigenous people are being evicted,” he said, “If this continues, we will become extinct and end up being displayed in museums someday.” Hanse has been opposing several hydro power projects in the Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao hills for several years. “Several such development projects are coming up in Karbi Anglong. There too, indigenous Karbi people are being evicted from their land. That is why we believe it is important to stand in solidarity with the Adivasi people of Kaziranga and fight together,” he added.With their leaders arrested and sent to jail, mounting pressure from the authorities and multiple threats from intermediaries Geeta, Mrinali and other Adivasi residents continue to protest to protect their land from what they describe as a “corporate land grab.”“We do not want any money in exchange for our land. We want our land untouched,” Mrinali said.