Panic Among Forest Dwellers of Cachar

Special Correspondent

Silchar: A sort of panic has come to prevail among the forest dwellers of Cachar, particularly in the Hawaithang forest range bordering Mizoram, in the wake of the notices served by the Beat Officer concerned to the 17 headmen to submit list of the people who have illegally settled down on forest lands by raising structures, kuchha and pucca, for living. The headmen of the range have been asked to furnish details in respect of the forceful occupation of forest lands of their respective area within 7 days.

The details should also cover construction of houses, creation of fisheries, nurseries and other illegal activities. After the receipt of the reports of headmen, necessary measures will be initiated to get the forest land vacated under the Forest Act 72 (C). All the reserve forest lands of the district have come under illegal occupation systematically under the care and protection of Congress regime just for the sake of ‘vote-bank.’

All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) of Cachar district committee has come forward to espouse the cause of the evicted people and those likely to face the eviction drive. Rejamond Ali Barbhuiya, president of Sabha, described the eviction drive of the forest department as ‘inhuman and unjustified’, considering the fact the encroachers have been living on forest land for the last 40 years. According to him, these helpless and landless people are the victims of anti poor economic policy of the government.

These people, he further agues, have to sell off their parental lands and properties and for survival occupy forest land and settle down around. They have to clean up the jungle- infested areas for gainful occupation. They have grown vegetations, fruits and flowers and developed fisheries to maintain ecological balance. To back up the president, Pradip Choudhury, secretary of AIKS, said the forest dwellers have been able to get benefits of welfare schemes and even electricity connection under BPL.

Despite their being eco friendly and saviour of forest and its precious wealth, 82 poor families have been evicted by using herds of elephants, dismantling their houses from the Rajanikhal area under Hawaithang forest range on June 27. AIKS leaders said these evicted people have voters’ identity cards, participated in GP, assembly and parliamentary polls. Their names are also in NRC. All this could not save them from the eviction drive, rued the leaders.

Calling upon the forest department to have mercy on the evicted people, AIKS wants them to be resettled on the surplus ceiling lands wherever available. These people are spending their days under open sky with children in this monsoon. They also want a halt to all the anti drive actions now being planned not only in Hawaithang range but across all the reserve forests of Cachar. AIKS leaders and supporters staged protest demonstration against the eviction drive of the forest department before submitting memorandum on the subject to the Deputy Commissioner of Cachar on Tuesday.

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