Release Indigenous Leader Pranab Doley Immediately: ICCA Consortium

First published on 07/13/2026

Shared by ICCA Consortium

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A leading Mising community activist, Pranab Doley, has been detained after opposing the transfer of grazing and farmland near Kaziranga National Park to a luxury hotel developer.

On Sunday, July 12, 2026, Assam Police arrested Pranab Doley, a prominent Indigenous land rights defender and socio-political leader from the Mising community, in Guwahati’s Sundarpur area. Doley was taken into custody by Dispur Police without, he says, being shown a warrant, and was later due to be handed over to Bokakhat Police, where the underlying case was registered.

Doley is the convener of the Greater Kaziranga Land and Human Rights Protection Committee (GKLHRPC), which has been leading opposition to the Assam government’s allocation of community grazing and agricultural land to the Assam Tourism Development Corporation (ATDC) for a proposed five-star hotel near the Kaziranga National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Local communities and rights groups argue the project would displace Adivasi farming families and cut through vital flood refuges and wildlife corridors used by animals during the seasonal flooding of the Brahmaputra River.

The arrest comes in the middle of an active legal dispute: In June 2026, the Gauhati High Court issued notices to the ATDC after 20 Adivasi farming families filed a petition challenging the project’s land possession, fencing, and apparent lack of mandatory environmental and social impact assessments.

“What kind of democracy is this?”

As he was escorted into a police van, Doley told reporters he had been detained without a warrant, comparing the manner of his arrest to being “kidnapped” and asking what kind of democracy would allow it. Videos circulating on social media show him being taken away by police as he called out that he could not even act as a voice for his community.

Doley has reportedly been booked under a long list of provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, India’s newly enacted criminal code, including sections covering criminal conspiracy, unlawful assembly and rioting, and causing hurt to deter public servants from performing their duties. The case was registered at Bokakhat Police Station.

Doley’s arrest has drawn swift condemnation from opposition political parties, who have accused the state government of authoritarian conduct, and has reportedly caused outrage among the farming families affected by the Kaziranga hotel project.

Call to Action

We stand in solidarity with Pranab Doley and request that concerned individuals and organizations be encouraged to:

• Call for Pranab Doley’s immediate and unconditional release, and for all charges connected to his peaceful advocacy work to be dropped.
• Urge the Government of Assam and the Government of India to respect the due process rights of tribal human rights defenders, including the right to be informed of charges and shown a valid arrest warrant.
• Call on the Assam Tourism Development Corporation and state authorities to halt the Kaziranga hotel project pending completion of mandatory environmental and social impact assessments and full compliance with the Gauhati High Court’s ongoing review.
• Support the Greater Kaziranga Land and Human Rights Protection Committee and affected Adivasi and Mising farming families in their efforts to secure free, prior, and informed consent over decisions affecting their lands and livelihoods.
• Amplify this case to ensure continued international attention on the treatment of Indigenous human rights and environmental defenders in Assam and across India.