The Koch Rajbanshi Citizens Forum has opposed the Assam government’s decision to rename a prominent bazaar road in Golakganj after Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, alleging that the move disregards the history, culture and identity of the Koch-Rajbongshi community.
Members of the forum, joined by local residents, staged a protest in Golakganj, which falls under the Assembly constituency represented by Cabinet Minister Ashwini Roy. The demonstrators described the renaming as an insult to the indigenous heritage of the region and accused the ruling party of seeking the support of Koch-Rajbongshi voters during elections while neglecting the community’s concerns after assuming office.
The protesters alleged that despite the community’s electoral significance, its historical and cultural identity has not received due recognition. They also criticised Minister Ashwini Roy for not publicly responding to the controversy despite representing the constituency.
Forum members further stated that a substantial portion of the land on which the Golakganj bazaar and adjoining roads were developed had been donated by the historic Prodhani Zamindar family. They argued that roads and other public infrastructure in the area should commemorate local personalities and families who played a significant role in the region’s development.
Jyotirmoy Prodhani, a descendant of the Prodhani Zamindar family, also objected to the renaming and questioned the choice of Shyama Prasad Mukherjee. Referring to historical correspondence from the post-Independence period, he alleged that Mukherjee had favoured the merger of Cooch Behar with West Bengal rather than preserving its separate status. He further claimed that this position differed from the views of leaders such as Gopinath Bordoloi and Ambikagiri Raichoudhury, who supported protecting the region’s distinct identity. Prodhani also alleged that certain historical records portray Mukherjee as having held unfavourable views towards sections of the Koch-Rajbongshi community during discussions concerning the future of Cooch Behar. These claims were made by the protesters and remain matters of historical interpretation.
The Koch Rajbanshi Citizens Forum demanded that the state government revoke the decision to rename the road and asserted that public infrastructure should instead reflect local history, indigenous identity and the contributions of the Prodhani Zamindar family. The Assam government has not issued any response to the allegations or the demands raised by the forum.
