The President of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (Assam Pradesh Congress Committee), Gaurav Gogoi, has launched a scathing attack on the ruling government over the arson at Molai Kathoni, the forest painstakingly nurtured by internationally acclaimed environmentalist Jadav Payeng, asserting that such a brazen act could not have taken place without political protection and administrative complicity.

In a strongly worded statement, Gogoi said the burning of a section of Molai Kathoni was not an isolated criminal act but a grave assault on Assam’s ecological conscience.

"A forest that symbolises people-led environmental conservation has been deliberately targeted. This is not random vandalism. Without the assurance of protection from those in power, no miscreant would dare to destroy an internationally recognised ecological asset," he said.

Calling the incident deeply disturbing, Gogoi pointed out that Molai Kathoni has been developed through decades of personal sacrifice by Jadav Payeng and his daughter Munmuni Payeng, making the arson an attack not just on a forest but on a global symbol of grassroots environmentalism.

"This is an act that reflects hatred towards nature and contempt for Assam's environmental legacy," he added.

The Congress leader questioned the motive behind the arson and demanded answers from the government.

"Why would anyone set fire to a forest like Molai Kathoni? Who stands to benefit?" Gogoi asked, noting that multiple media reports have pointed towards the involvement of a powerful sand mafia operating in the area.

Referring to allegations that sand mining permissions were granted by the Forest Department in ecologically sensitive riverine zones adjacent to Molai Kathoni—despite sustained objections from Jadav Payeng—Gogoi said the sequence of events raises serious questions about governance.

"When an environmentalist repeatedly flags ecological risks and the government chooses to ignore him, and the forest is then attacked, the responsibility squarely rests with the administration," he said.

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The APCC President demanded an immediate review of all sand mining clearances in the Molai Kathoni region and called for the cancellation of licences granted in violation of environmental safeguards.

He also pressed for a time-bound, impartial investigation into the arson, the arrest of those involved, and strict punishment to dismantle what he described as the growing stranglehold of the sand mafia under the present regime.

Meanwhile, concern over the safety of Jadav Payeng has intensified, with the student wing of the Congress, the National Students' Union of India (NSUI), stepping in to demand immediate state protection for the environmentalist.

NSUI state president Kaushik Kashyap met Payeng on Sunday and confirmed that credible threats to his life had emerged following the arson.

In a press statement, Kashyap said the attack took place during Payeng’s absence and was aimed at intimidating him into silence.

"This is not merely an attack on trees; it is an attempt to break the resolve of a man who has stood against environmental exploitation," he said.

Warning the government against abdication of responsibility, Kashyap said that if the administration fails to ensure Payeng’s security, it would expose its unwillingness to stand up to organised environmental crime.

"The people of Assam are watching. If the government cannot protect Jadav Payeng, it must admit its failure. In that case, the people will step in to safeguard both the Forest Man and the forest he has created," he asserted.

The Congress and its student wing have made it clear that the Molai Kathoni arson is not just a law-and-order issue but a litmus test of the government’s commitment to environmental protection, transparency, and the rule of law.

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