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KOKRAJHAR: The All Assam Tribal Students Union (AATSU) on Friday strongly opposed the proposed land allotment to Adani Group and Railway Coach Factory, measuring 6,000 bighas in the tribal areas of Kokrajhar. The AATSU vehemently condemned the act of Assam Government and Bodoland Territorial Council that has allocated 3,600 bighas of land to Adani for setting up a large APDCL and 2,400 bighas of land to Railway Coach Factory in Bashbari, Kokrajhar, and feared that they will conduct eviction drives in tribal villages in Bodoland Territorial Council.
President of AATSU Hareswar Brahma said that the Government of BTR was trying to serve the interest of the capitalists by evicting hundreds of families of Boro, Rabha, Garo, and other ethnic groups in the Bashbari area in Kokrajhar district. In one word, the BJP Government is going to sell the nation and land of the indigenous people to Gujarat businessmen close to the BJP whereas, even after the notification of the Gauhati High Court (PIL 78/2012), a total of 5 lakh bighas of tribal lands illegally encroached by non-tribals haves not been evicted but tribals are being evicted from tribal belt & blocks, he said, adding that these anti-tribal acts of the Assam Government are condemnable.
“We know that Bodoland Territorial Council is a Sixth Schedule area which includes protection of tribal rights and culture, local self-governance through autonomous district councils, control over land and its resources, preservation of traditional customs, laws, and social practices, and promotion of socio-economic development and welfare of tribals. According to the law as per the constitution of India, the Six Schedule area is a totally protected area,” he said, adding-that the Six Schedule land can’t be transferred to any other non-protected class.
Brahma said that the inevitable mass evictions in Bashbari, Kokrajhar BTC for the purpose of the APDCL Project depict the historic and continuous injustices to the indigenous people of the locality as well as the slow and the steady colonization of the abodes of indigenous in general. He said that the United Nations Declaration of the rights of indigenous peoples vide resolutions adopted by the General Assembly in 107th plenary meeting on the 13th September, 2007, envisaged and protected the right to self-determination to lead a dignified life and living, right to self-determination, the issues of sustainable development, rights for not to be forced assimilation. Other rights bestowed are rights to protect language, culture as well as indigenous traditional knowledge. These charters and articles reprimand any state government concerned to look into the matter so that the indigenous peoples are not to be annihilated from all spheres, he added.
In view of such circumstances the mass evictions are indeed an ill-designed negligence and exploitation of the most vital international covenant of utmost importance, noted Brahma. Since the locality in question is a Six Schedule area wherein such kind of evictions are impossible constitutionally, the whole matter seems to be an absolute negligence, exploitation, and suppression of the indigenous peoples who are responsible for the sustainability of wholesome and healthy environment, he added. He also said that the AATSU strongly demanded that the tribal land can’t be exploited for favour of anybody and that it is amounting to violation of the Six Schedule provision of the Constitution Of India and therefore, the AATSU strongly urged the governments of India and Assam not to violate the Six Schedule provision of Assam and protect the tribal people.
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