Assam Cabinet clears 28,000 D-voter cases against Koch Rajbongshis

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaApril 4, 2025

In a sweeping set of decisions, the Assam Cabinet on Friday approved the withdrawal of 28,000 D-voter cases against members of the Koch Rajbongshi community and unveiled several key measures on health, flood control, and infrastructure development across the state.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma called the decision on D-voter cases “historic,” acknowledging the decades-long suffering of one of Assam’s indigenous communities. “These are very poor people who have been harassed by the Border Police for a long time. It’s time to protect their rights,” Sarma said after the cabinet meeting.

The D-voter (doubtful voter) cases had pushed over 28,000 members of the Koch Rajbongshi community into legal limbo since the Assam Accord of 1985. Most cases arose in districts like Dhubri, Goalpara, Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon, Chirang, Baksa, Udalguri, Darrang, and Dhemaji—triggered largely by language barriers and a lack of documentation.

The community has endured decades of humiliation and fear. In 1987, Nirabala Ray, a Koch Rajbongshi woman, was nearly deported to Bangladesh after being declared a foreigner. Protests by community organizations prevented it. In another tragic case, a young man from Darrang took his own life after being similarly labelled.

Welcoming the move, Biswajit Ray, secretary of the Koch Rajbongshi Jatiya Parishad and former president of the All Assam Koch Rajbongshi Students’ Union (AAKRSU), said, “This is a long-overdue relief. We brought this up to earlier governments, but no one acted. Today’s decision finally delivers justice.”