A large number of the people dependent on fishing for their livelihood took to protest against the local administration in the Biswanath district of the state. The protesters mentioned that they would refrain from voting in the upcoming general elections if their demands were not fulfilled. More than 100 people dependent on fishing for their livelihood staged a protest in front of the District Commissioner’s office in the Biswanath district. The men and women taking part in this protest demanded the removal of the ban on fishing in the Brahmaputra River. According to sources, the state government had placed this ban.
The protesters placed placards as well as engaged in sloganeering against the administration. The protesters displayed placards mentioning several statements including “will give blood, not the river”, “ give back our rights”, “no fishing rights, no voting”, “we are fishermen, give us our rights”, “our river, our life”, etc. in protest of the regulations. The participants mentioned that the fishermen of the region have faced this problem for a long time and that if the current government cannot find a resolution for the same, they will not be voting in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections which will be organised next year.
It can be noted that the concerned department had put a ban on fishing on the Brahmaputra River in the Biswanath District in the past three years. This has led to a large number of problems for the fishermen of the region for this duration. The protesters also questioned the authorities regarding this action, threatening further protests including the refraining from any participation in the general elections. It remains to see if the state government as well as the local administration pays heed to the matter in a view to bringing an end to the problems faced by the fishermen.