Assam government faces global pressure to release activist Pranab Doley

Thirty-seven international civil society, indigenous peoples, and human rights organizations have called on the Assam government to release indigenous rights activist Pranab Doley and drop charges against four other activists. The organizations issued an open letter urging the withdrawal of the National Security Act (NSA) order against Doley, which was invoked shortly after a local court had granted him bail.

The activists were arrested following protests against a proposed luxury hotel project near Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve. Doley and the Greater Kaziranga Land and Human Rights Protection Committee allege that the project, involving land allotted to the Assam Tourism Development Corporation, was pursued without the “free, prior and informed consent” of local communities. They claim that approximately 60 bighas of Adivasi-owned agricultural and community grazing land were reclassified without proper public consultation.

Signatories to the open letter, representing groups from countries including the United States, United Kingdom, Denmark, and others, questioned the grounds for Doley’s detention. They argued that his participation in international forums, such as the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, constitutes legitimate rights advocacy rather than criminal conduct.