A CORRESPONDENT
PALASBARI: “Destruction of nature in the name of development is unacceptable and must not be allowed. Every indigenous citizen of Assam must stand firmly with the people of Dorabil in their struggle,” said noted Advocate Shantanu Barthakur while addressing a massive public meeting at Dorabeel under Palasbari LAC in Kamrup district on Sunday.
The meeting was organized to protest against the State Government’s reported plan to construct a logistic park over 150 bighas of traditional grazing land adjoining the ecologically significant Dorabeel wetland.
Advocate Barthakur asserted that communities had full rights over the preservation of natural resources and must continue to safeguard them. He cautioned that the proposed project threatens the livelihood of thousands of farming, fishing, and cattle-rearing families who had been dependent on the Dorabeel grasslands for generations. The public meeting was chaired by a presidium comprising Ashwini Mazumdar, Prabin Goswami, and Dr Abani Kumar Das.
Explaining the objective of the gathering, Prasenjit Kalita, a leading member of the Dorabeel Grazing Land Protection Committee, said that the government’s move posed a direct threat to the rich biodiversity of the wetland. Committee Secretary Md Nizamuluddin Ahmed described the project as an ‘unwarranted encroachment’ and emphasised the need for collective resistance.
Committee member Kanak Chandra Das, in his address, said that residents across political affiliations must unite to oppose the government’s ‘hasty and ill-considered’ decision. Another member, Prasanna Kalita, highlighted that Dorabeel and its adjoining grasslands served as habitat for numerous rare and migratory bird species, supported traditional pottery livelihoods, and remained a crucial grazing zone for thousands of cattle. Aditya Rabha, Advisor to the Barduar Land Patton Demand Committee, urged the public to expose the government’s intentions and stand united to protect Dorabeel at all costs. The meeting was attended by senior citizens, members of the Dorabeel Grazing Land Protection Committee, and more than three thousand local residents.
Before the main programme, attendees paid floral tributes to Late singer Zubeen Garg, followed by a collective rendition of his iconic song ‘Mayabini.’
Also Read: Assam: Mass public meeting called to save Dorabeel wetland