Assam court permits arrested Barshashree Buragohain to sit for examination

A local court in Assam’s Golaghat district has allowed Barshashree Buragohain who has been languishing in Golaghat central jail for last 58 days for allegedly writing pro poem on United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent (ULFA-I) to appear for exams.

She is allowed to appear in the BSc second semester exam which starts on July 18 with police escort. ULFA-I or anti talk faction of ULFA is a proscribed militant outfit. Buragohain was picked up on May 17 for posting “anti-national” poems on social media.

Her family members have appealed to the Assam government to let her appear for the exam. Barshashree had petitioned the district and sessions judge Golaghat through the Golaghat jail authorities to grant her permission to appear for her semester exams.


The court has asked the jail authorities to ensure necessary arrangements are made to appear in examination. The jail authorities have been directed to provide sufficient police escort from the jail to the venue of her exam.

DGP of Assam police Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta had said, “She was not arrested for writing a poem. She was arrested for encouraging others to join the outfit.”
Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that she was not arrested for writing a poem but for attempting to join ULFA. “She said that will rebel against the nation. We cannot allow this. We have been talking to her and she has been saying that she will join ULFA.”

He said, “If family members say that she will not go and join the outfit, we may consider her release. Her counselling is going on. If she goes to ULFA and comes back as human bomb and triggers blast in Ganeshguri in Guwahati or she comes back with AK-47. In ULFA’s camp 42 people were killed. We have asked ULFA to come to the negotiating table.