Guwahati: Hundreds of students in Assam’s Dhubri district staged a silent protest on Thursday in response to the sudden barricading of a key road at Dhubri Kachari Ghat—an essential route connecting the Char areas to educational institutions in the town.
The district administration enforced the blockade using bamboo barricades, effectively cutting off daily access for students from the riverine Char regions who depend on the route to reach their schools and colleges. The protest ended in front of the District Commissioner’s office, where students highlighted that the closure directly violated their constitutional right to education under the Right to Education Act.
Students from several institutions, including Government Boys’ Higher Secondary School, Government Girls’ Higher Secondary School, Dhubri Girls Academy, Dhubri Municipal High School, Netai Dhubani College, Dhubri Girls College, and Vidyasagar College, participated in the demonstration. Many of them travel daily from distant Char areas using ferries and boats that dock at the now-inaccessible ghat.
The barricading was reportedly implemented without any prior notification or explanation, leaving both students and parents confused and unprepared. Several students shared that they had already missed multiple days of classes due to the disruption, sparking fears of academic setbacks and growing inequality for students from marginalised communities.
Protesters urged the district administration to urgently lift the blockade and restore access, warning that continued closure would only deepen the educational divide and erode the rights of Char area students already battling geographic and socio-economic challenges.