Dibrugarh (Assam) [India], September 3 : The All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) staged a protest in Dibrugarh on Thursday against the rising prices of essential commodities and alleged inaction by the Assam government on the issue.
During the protest, AASU members carried a symbolic funeral procession of Assam Supply Minister Kaushik Rai from in front of Shaheed Bhawan at Chowkidingi to Chowkidingi Chariali, raising slogans against the state government over the rising prices of essential food items.
The protesters later burnt an effigy of the Supply Minister as part of the demonstration.
AASU Dibrugarh district committee president Pratima Sonowal alleged that prices of essential commodities in Assam were “skyrocketing” and claimed that the government had failed to take effective measures despite the organisation submitting a memorandum over the issue.
“It seems that the state Supply Minister Kaushik Rai has died. Therefore, treating him as dead, we carried out his funeral procession today and burnt his effigy,” Sonowal said.
She alleged that the government had remained silent despite repeated demands to control the prices of essential commodities, forcing AASU members to take to the streets.
The student organisation demanded immediate measures to control the prices of essential commodities and called for greater effectiveness in the functioning of the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department.
The protesters also raised concerns over the functioning of the public distribution system and demanded steps to ensure that essential food items remain accessible and affordable to the general public.
AASU members said the continuing rise in prices was increasing the financial burden on ordinary households and urged the state government to take immediate and effective measures to provide relief to consumers.
The protest was marked by slogans against price rise and the state government's handling of essential commodity distribution. The symbolic funeral procession and effigy burning were part of the organisation's wider protest programme in Dibrugarh.