A 19-year-old college student has been under arrest since May for allegedly writing a social media post supporting the banned United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent (ULFA-I) even as there have been growing demands for her immediate release.
Barshashree Buragohain was arrested from Golaghat on May 18 and charged under the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). The Assam Police said she was arrested for threatening to wage war against the country over a Facebook post in which she wrote: “Akou korim rashtradroh [will rebel against the nation again].”
The case did not get much attention until Buragohain’s parents appealed to chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and the police to release her for her exams.
The state government and police have drawn flak on social media platforms for arresting the student for what many insisted for writing a poem.
Assam Police chief Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta on Wednesday said Buragohain has not been arrested for writing poems. “But when someone writes that she wants to join ULFA-I or encourage others to do so, it becomes a problem. That is why she has been arrested. So, instead of joining ULFA, you better stay in jail.”
Buragohain also wrote on Facebook that she “would rebel against the nation a thousand times for the sake of freedom.” The banned ULFA-I has been seeking an independent Assam for 43 years.
{{/usCountry}}Buragohain also wrote on Facebook that she “would rebel against the nation a thousand times for the sake of freedom.” The banned ULFA-I has been seeking an independent Assam for 43 years.
{{/usCountry}}Special director general of police GP Singh said there was a specific call for waging war against the state. “When someone publicly professes support for a banned organisation and declares the intent of waging war against the Indian state, we are legally bound to prosecute that person,” said Singh. “Following due process, charge sheet shall be filed...Let the law take its own course.”