U.S.-based academics call for Assam land rights activist Pranab Doley’s release
U.S.-based academics have called for the release of indigenous activist Pranab Doley, who was arrested in Assam regarding protests against a hotel and museum project near Kaziranga National Park. The activist faces charges of trespassing and inciting violence, which his supporters claim are politically motivated.
Why it matters
The case highlights the tension between indigenous land rights, conservation efforts, and commercial development projects in protected areas.
A group of academics associated with a human rights programme in the United States has called for the unconditional release of indigenous human rights activist Pranab Doley, arrested for allegedly fuelling violence to derail the Assam government’s move to construct a luxury hotel and a museum near the Kaziranga National Park.
The activist was detained in Guwahati on July 12 and arrested in eastern Assam’s Golaghat at 3.20 a.m. on Monday (July 13, 2026) on charges that he and several others had “unlawfully trespassed with deadly weapons” into the site of the Tea Tribes Museum and later into the hotel project by Hyatt Group and Assam Tourism Development Corporation (ATDC) at Ingle Pathar on June 29.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in