Assam student jailed for writing "revolutionary poem"

Guwahati: A 19-year-old college student in was arrested in Golaghat in Assam over a Facebook post allegedly in support of the banned outfit United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent (ULFA-I).

A leading intellectual who came out supporting Barshashree Buragohain, a second-year student of Mathematics at a Jorhat college, asked for her release saying that she had written only a "revolutionary poem".

Buragohain is facing charges under sections 10 and 13 of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) after the district police took suo motu cognisance of her Facebook post updated a day before, according to the Indian Express.

Barshashree Buragohain, who is currently lodged in the Golaghat district jail, had written the post in Assamese whose translation reportedly read "One more step towards the independent sun, we will continue to be seditious".

Police found, according to The Indian Express, implicit endorsement of ULFA-I in her words, suggesting "criminal conspiracy", as well as "intent to wage war against the Indian government".

The Assam Police Special DGP, G P Singh on Wednesday stated that in the words "we will continue to be seditious" Buragohain had made "specific call to indulge in waging war".

Buragohain's counsel A Dihingia reportedly said that the word ULFA-I was not used in the post and added that the post got linked to ULFA-I because it mentioned "Independent sun", being a symbol of the banned outfit.

Congress MP Abdul Khaleque demanded Buragohain's release saying she had been arrested for writing a revolutionary poem.

The Congress federal lawmaker Pradyut Bordoloi asked for her release saying that Buragohain a budding poet who was expressing her free-flowing sprits in words.

Noted litterateur Arupa Patangia Kalita said young girl had been incarcerated for an ordinary revolutionary poem and called everybody to stand up for free speech.