Barpeta (Assam): Assam indigenous rights activist Pranab Doley was among two activists arrested by Dispur Police in Guwahati on Sunday (July 12) days after he participated in protests against a hotel project at Ingle Pathar, a village abutting the Kaziranga National Park.Police have claimed in a first information report that Doley “unlawfully trespassed into the site of the Tea Tribes Museum and thereafter trespassed into the nearby ATDC Hyatt project at Ingle Pathar with deadly weapons.”Today (July 13), Doley was produced at the Bokakhat District Court amid heavy police presence. His family informed The Wire that he has been remanded to seven days of police custody.Videos circulating over social media showed Doley raising questions about his detention while being escorted by police personnel on July 12. He is heard saying that he had been taken into custody without being shown any official documents.“We can’t even be the voice of the people. What kind of democracy is this? I was arrested without any papers and brought here,” Doley was heard saying while being taken away.“After his arrest in Guwahati, Bokakhat Police surrounded Pranab Doley’s residence to carry out a search,” said Ritupan Pegu, one of Doley’s family members, who was present at the house at the time. He also told The Wire that another activist, Bijit Kutum had also been arrested by Bokakhat Police at around 4 pm on the same day.The case – 108/2026 – was registered at Bokakhat Police Station on June 29. Police have alleged that the group that Doley was a part of obstructed construction work, threatened construction workers, attempted to damage property, and assaulted police personnel during an attempt to disperse the gathering.Doley has been booked under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS), including sections 61(2), 62, 74, 121, 121(1), 121(2), 132, 190, 191(2), 191(3), 221, 324(2), 326(g), 329(3), and 351(3). The charges range from mischief to rioting with an armed weapon and stopping a public servant from doing their duty. A noted environmentalistDoley, a member of Assam’s indigenous Mising community, is known for his work on indigenous rights, environmental protection, and community welfare. A graduate in social work from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), he has founded and co-founded several organisations, including the Centre for North East Studies and Policy Advocacy (CNAPA), the All Kaziranga Affected Communities’ Rights Committee, the People Ecology Network, and the Jyoti Bishnu Cultural and Research Centre. Over the years, Doley has been involved in campaigns and advocacy efforts focusing on indigenous rights, sustainable development, environmental conservation, and social justice, particularly in Assam and the wider Northeast.Doley also represented India at the 14th United Nations Forum on Business and Human Rights in Geneva in November 2025.Doley has sought to raise issues of indigenous rights, land governance, and environmental justice through electoral politics too. He contested the Bokakhat assembly constituency as an Independent candidate in the 2021 and 2026 Assam assembly elections. He currently serves as the convenor of the Greater Kaziranga Land and Human Rights Protection Committee (GKLHRPC), which has been leading protests against the proposed luxury hotels and resorts project near Kaziranga under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. The dispute surrounding the project has also reached the courts. In June, the Gauhati high court issued notices to the Assam Tourism Development Corporation (ATDC) while hearing a petition filed by 20 Adivasi farming families challenging the project. The petitioners alleged that land cultivated by them for generations had been earmarked for the project without adequate consultation and raised concerns over environmental and social impacts.A family member of Doley, the scholar and activist Monuhar Pegu, told The Wire, “He has been one of the prominent voices opposing the acquisition of indigenous people’s land. Due to his involvement in such protests, Bokakhat Police had arrested him several times previously.”Organisations demand unconditional releaseThe arrest triggered strong reactions from across Assam, with several intellectuals, writers, artists, student leaders, indigenous organisations, environmental groups, and human rights activists expressing concern over the police action. Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) and Satra Mukti Sangram Samiti (SMSS) held a press conference in Guwahati soon after the arrest and demanded the immediate and unconditional release of both Doley and Aditya Rabha, who is another land rights activist who had been arrested on July 9. Raijor Dal leader Ashraful Islam told The Wire, “While the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led BJP government claims to be working for Assam’s indigenous communities and protecting ‘Jati, Mati, Bheti (community, land, and hearth),’ activists like Pranab Doley are being arrested for raising their voices to defend their land. This is the height of irony. The Himanta government is not working for the indigenous communities but for the capitalists.” “We strongly condemn the arrest of Pranab Doley and demand his immediate release,” he added.On their statement, Bhumi Adhikar Andolan stated, “Pranab Doley has been one of the foremost leaders of the people’s struggle against the proposed Hyatt luxury hotel project at Ingle Pathar on the fringes of Kaziranga National Park. The movement has brought together indigenous communities, Adivasi farmers and local residents who have consistently opposed the diversion of land for corporate tourism projects. They have argued that the proposed project threatens the livelihoods of farming families, undermines the rights of indigenous communities and promotes a model of development that prioritises corporate interests over people and the environment.”Condemning the arrest, DYFI leader Nirangkush Nath told The Wire, “The neo-fascist tendencies of the BJP government, which prioritises corporate interests, are becoming increasingly evident across the country. In Assam as well, the government led by Himanta Biswa Sarma has been steadily intensifying its attacks on the democratic rights guaranteed by the Constitution of India, including the people’s freedom of speech, the freedom of literary, artistic, and cultural expression, and the right to hold meetings, assemblies, and protests.”Reports said that Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Gaurav Gogoi also criticised the detention and alleged that democratic voices were being targeted. The Wire has attempted to contact Bokakhat police, but calls have gone unanswered.