Barak Valley Must Have Gauhati High Court Bench: Demand Committee Plans Public Movement

The High Court Bench Demand Implementation Committee on Friday (March 13) renewed its demand for the establishment of a separate bench of the Gauhati High Court in Barak Valley, stating that the long-pending issue must now be turned into a public movement.

Addressing a press meet held at the Advocate’s Bar Library in Silchar on March 13, members of the committee said the demand for a High Court bench in Barak Valley has been pending since the 1980s. They alleged that despite repeatedly approaching both the Assam Government and the Gauhati High Court, the demand has not been accepted so far.

The committee also highlighted that the demand has received political backing in the past. A Private Member’s Bill seeking a High Court bench in Silchar was introduced in the Lok Sabha by Kabindra Purkayastha on May 22, 2012, while former MP Sushmita Dev also raised the issue through a similar bill. However, both proposals remain pending.

The committee stated that the objective of the meeting was to connect with more people and mobilise public support for the cause. As part of the next step, the committee announced that an “Intellectual Meet” will be held in Silchar on March 28 to further strengthen the campaign and build a broader public movement.

Members of the committee also said they hope the demand reaches Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of his visit to Silchar on March 14.

Highlighting the necessity of a High Court bench in Barak Valley, the committee pointed out that more than 4,000 cases from the region are currently pending before the Gauhati High Court as of March 13. They argued that litigants from Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi face multiple challenges, including long travel distances to Guwahati, high travel costs, and language barriers.

The committee said the establishment of a bench in Barak Valley would help reduce the burden on litigants and ensure easier access to justice.

Those present at the press meet included senior advocates and distinguished lawyers, namely— convenors Drubha Kumar Saha, Dipak Chakraborty, Prasenjit Kumar Deb, Debabrata Das, Dipak Kumar Deb, Niladri Roy, Swarnali Ghosh, Yasin Ali Barbhuiya, Dharmananda Deb and Ranju Deb.