OUR CORRESPONDENT
KOKRAJHAR: Bodoland Janajati Suraksha Mancha (BJSM) came down heavily on the state government and BTC administration for their failure to free tribal belts and blocks illegally occupied by non-tribal encroachers from outside despite Gauhati High Court's order to evict all illegal non-tribal settlers in tribal lands. The Manch said that due to massive encroachments in tribal lands, the Bodo tribe became refugees on their own land with the abnormal rise in the population of 'aliens'.
The Working President of the BJSM, DD Narzary, said that BTC under the 6th schedule of the Indian Constitution was given to the Bodos as an outcome of over the martyrdom of 5000 to protect their land, culture, heritage, development of socio-economy, language and literature, and political rights, but despite this fact, their lands were being illegally occupied by non-tribal outsiders.
He said that as many as 31 Bodo families of Takhimari village were forced to leave their village during clashes between the Bodos and Muslim settlers, and they could not return to their villages but settled near the new flyover in Kokrajhar. "Moujabari village under Sidli Circle in the Chirang district was a Bodo village, but not a single Bodo family remains in that village due to the pressure of illegal Muslim settlers, although till today the Bodo families have been paying the land revenue," he said, adding that Moujabari was brought under the Sidli tribal block on August 5, 1947, and according to Chapter X of the Assam Land and Revenue Regulation Act, 1865, no non-tribal was allowed to settle there. He also said that the Gauhati High Court had issued an order to evict all illegal settlers in Moujabari, but nothing was done.
Narzary said after the 2014 riot of Bodo and Adivasi, the Bodo families of the villages of Pulkumari, Pakhihaga, Majadabri, Nilaijhora, Sukhanbaonai, Samthaibari, and Silgagri under the Gossaigaon subdivision got displaced, and their lands were occupied by non-tribal settlers. He said that the BTC Accord had a provision for the protection of tribal land, but despite this fact, it was unfortunate that the Bodos are victims of non-tribal illegal encroachers in their own land.
He slammed the Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma, CEM of BTC Pramod Boro, and EM of Land and Revenue Department of BTC Ranjit Basumatary for failing to act according to the law of the land. Narzary also criticized ABSU president Dipen Boro for orchestrating on behalf of the government, though they had the responsibility to protect the tribal lands. He also questioned the application of 6th schedule status in BTC. He urged the government of Assam to evict all non-tribal illegal settlers in tribal lands with immediate effect.
Also Read: Local people cannot expect benefits from big industries: BJSM
Also Watch: