Guwahati: The Barak Democratic Front has urged the Assam government to immediately establish a circuit or permanent bench of the Gauhati High Court in the Barak Valley, citing long-standing promises made in the BJP’s Vision Document and persistent difficulties faced by litigants from the region.
In a representation addressed to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, with a copy marked to the Assam Pradesh BJP president, the organisation said the absence of a High Court bench in the Barak Valley has caused financial hardship, physical strain and mental stress to litigants, advocates and witnesses who are compelled to travel to Guwahati for hearings.
The Barak Valley, comprising Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi districts, is geographically distinct and culturally different from the Brahmaputra Valley.
The Front pointed out that senior citizens, women, pensioners and economically weaker sections are particularly affected, resulting in restricted access to justice.
According to the representation, more than 30 per cent of cases before the Gauhati High Court originate from the Barak Valley, yet the region continues to remain without a nearby High Court bench.
The Front argued that despite contributing a significant share of cases, the Valley has been deprived of adequate judicial infrastructure at the High Court level.
The memorandum also referred to administrative decentralisation initiatives undertaken by the state government, including the creation of a separate Secretariat and the Barak Valley Development Department, as well as judicial decentralisation at the district level through the establishment of the Lakhipur SDJM Court.
In this backdrop, it said decentralisation at the High Court level was essential to uphold the right to justice under Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution.
The Front further recalled that the Assam Vision Document (2016–2025) published by the Assam Pradesh BJP had promised the establishment of a Gauhati High Court bench at Silchar.
The commitment, made under the leadership of late Kabindra Purkayastha, has remained unfulfilled even after the end of the stipulated period, it said, leading to growing frustration among the people of the Barak Valley.
Highlighting language-related challenges, the organisation said Bengali-speaking litigants and lawyers from the Barak Valley face difficulties while conducting cases in Guwahati, where Assamese is the official language.
A local High Court bench, it added, would ensure a more effective and accessible justice delivery system.
While acknowledging the introduction of virtual hearings, the Front said they could not replace physical courts, particularly in complex and sensitive cases.
It cited the establishment of circuit benches under the Calcutta High Court as evidence that physical benches remain necessary.
The Barak Democratic Front said setting up a circuit or permanent bench of the Gauhati High Court in the Barak Valley would help reduce case backlogs, speed up the justice delivery process and strengthen public confidence in the rule of law.
It urged the state government to take early steps in the larger public interest.
