GUWAHATI: Raijor Dal president and Sivasagar MLA Akhil Gogoi launched a hunger strike (anashan) on Thursday near Janata Bhawan in Dispur, demanding higher compensation for victims of the catastrophic floods that devastated upper Assam earlier this year.
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Speaking on the issue, Gogoi accused the central government of neglecting Assam despite frequent political attention to the state. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi often invokes Assam, referring to the Northeast as "ashtalaxmi" and wearing the Assamese gamusa, and that both Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah spend considerable time campaigning in the state during elections, yet have not addressed the flood compensation issue.
He described the floods as among the worst disasters in Assam's history, saying 105 people died and more than two lakh people across three districts were affected. Gogoi noted that his own family was not spared, with flooding damaging household belongings ranging from furniture to electronics.
Gogoi and Raijor Dal are demanding compensation of Rs 10 lakh for flood victims, against the government's offer of Rs 1.2 lakh to Rs 1.7 lakh. He also called for compensation to be extended to affected businessmen, rejecting the government's position that businesses should rely on insurance, noting that not all businesses in Assam are insured.
He pointed out that by Thursday, it would be nearly 60 days since the floods struck, underscoring, in his view, the delay in the state's response to victims' losses.
The hunger strike is the latest in a series of protests by Gogoi and Raijor Dal pressing the state and central governments for adequate flood relief in upper Assam.