In brief
In the northeastern Indian state of Assam, Pranab Doley—an outspoken community rights advocate—was arrested and denied bail under the National Security Act for participating in a protest against a planned five‑star hotel on land near Kaziranga National Park. Despite a court granting bail the previous day, the government cited a decade‑long record of alleged offences to hold Doley, sparking criticism that the law is being used to silence dissent. The hotel project is argued to bring investment and jobs, yet dozens of families who have cultivated the lands for generations feel displaced and claim the government has misrepresented land ownership. Doley’s long‑standing activism, which has tackled poaching, evictions and land acquisition, underscores the broader debate that conservation cannot be separated from the rights of local communities. The case highlights the tension between tourism development and environmental stewardship at a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
In the northeastern Indian state of Assam, 40‑year‑old activist Pranab Doley was denied release from Tinsukia jail on 30 July even though a court had granted him bail the day before.
Doley was arrested weeks earlier for participating in a June protest against a proposed luxury hotel that would occupy 10 acres of land adjacent to Kaziranga National Park—a UNESCO World Heritage Site that protects the last stronghold of the one‑horned rhino.
The Assam government invoked the National Security Act, a law that allows authorities to detain individuals without trial for extended periods, citing 13 criminal cases that had been registered against Doley since 2017. The act’s use here has drawn criticism as a tool to suppress dissent and reportedly aims to keep the hotel project, which promises investment, jobs and more international tourists, moving forward.
For Doley and many families in the area, the hotel threatens livelihoods. The families claim that they have farmed the land for generations, that they possess receipts dating back to 1956 and that the land has been used continuously despite not being officially registered in their names. The state administration states that the land is government property but acknowledges that families have contributed revenue for decades.
Doley’s activism began with confronting alleged extrajudicial killings of poachers inside the park and has since expanded to fighting evictions, land acquisition and compensation. In July 2023 the state government announced a partnership with the Saraf Group and Hyatt to build the hotel, with the chief minister touting the development as a boon for tourism.
Lawyer Mrityunjoy Pegu told the BBC that most of the older cases against Doley had been resolved and that only two were pending at the time of the latest arrest. He added that Doley had intentionally chosen to contest the 2026 state election as an independent candidate in order to bring these issues to a broader platform.
A judge’s bail order emphasized that true public order is achieved by listening to the affected communities, not by silencing them. However, Doley remains in custody, and the debate continues over how to reconcile conservation efforts in Kaziranga with the rights of the people who live there.
