Students of Gauhati University have announced a 12-hour hunger strike on December 15 to demand the immediate reconstruction of the historic Shaheed Bedi, also known as the Martyrs’ Memorial, located inside the university campus. The hunger strike will begin at 6 am and continue till evening.
The protest has been called by the Gauhati University unit of the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU), along with the AASU unit of the University Law College. The students said the decision was taken after months of frustration over what they described as continued neglect of an important memorial linked to the Assam Movement.
The Shaheed Bedi holds deep emotional and historical value for students and the people of Assam. It is a symbol of sacrifice and remembrance of those who laid down their lives during the Assam Movement. However, the memorial collapsed during a storm on May 27, 2024. Since then, it has remained in a damaged and abandoned condition. 
Student leaders said that despite repeated appeals to the university authorities, no real progress has been made on rebuilding the structure. They claimed that while assurances were given on several occasions, the matter never moved beyond paperwork. During this period, two Vice-Chancellors took charge, and several other development works were carried out on the campus, but the Shaheed Bedi was left unattended.
Announcing the hunger strike, the AASU units said the protest is aimed at drawing attention to the issue and pressing for immediate action. They stated that the prolonged delay has hurt the sentiments of students and the wider academic community.
Interestingly, after the hunger strike was publicly announced, the university administration declared that the foundation stone for the reconstruction of Shaheed Bedi would be laid on the same day. While students noted that laying a foundation stone for a rebuilt structure is unusual, they welcomed the announcement as a positive step.
