Victim of cases slapped by encroachers: PBM

By our Staff Reporter

GUWHATI, Jan 9: The Prabajan Virodhi Mancha (PBM), Sangrami Sathirtha  Sanmelan (SSS) and Dakshin-Pashim Goal Santha (DPGS) have said that encroachers in the Sipajhar area in Darrang district are in conflict with them by slapping false cases on them “We’re victim of false cases slapped on us,” the three organizations said.

Talking to newsmen in Guwahati on

Tuesday, SSS president Ramesh Baruah said: “Since 2012 we’ve been demanding eviction of Bangladeshis who have encroached upon 77,420 bighas of land in Sipajhar. Dispur keeps of fixing dates for eviction of the encroachers only to defer encroachment later for reasons best known to them. In 2016, the government initiated the eviction just for the me sake and stopped it immediately. Now the situation has been reverse, and we’re at the receiving end. The ganged-up encroachers are a threat for us. They slap cases against anyone who raises the demand for making the vast 77,420 bighas of land encroachment free.”

Baruah said: “It’s an admitted fact according to government records that 77,420 bigha of land is under encroachment by persons of doubtful tiolity in Sipajhar. This fact was also placed by the Supreme Court appointed Commissioner Upamanyu Hazarika before the Supreme Court and accepted by the Central and the State governments. Under the Assam Land Grabbing Act, 2010 encroachment of government land is an offence and furthermore encroachers are liable to be evicted forthwith. It is because eviction was not carried out, the encroachers on 21.11.2017 murdered Anda Das of Kuruwa, while he was cultivating his own land. His murder can be directly attributed to the failure of the State Government and district administration to provide security to indigenous people. After the murder of Anda Das the people of Kuruwa organized themselves for self-defense, through village defense parties and also to stop cow smugglers. In the last four weeks various complaints in Sipajhar police station being instigated and instituted by the encroachers and in the guise of which the local police has started harassing the youths of Kuruwa. A case has also been registered against Upamanyu Hazarika, Senior Advocate and Convener, Prabajan Virodhi Manch. The charges brought against are dacoity, trespass, crimil, robbery, extortion, grievous hurt, house breaking, crimil intimidation etc., including persons associated with different organizations. The police chose to act on evidently false complaints and are protecting the encroachers.”

Baruah further said: “It’s a fact that the huge amounts of Government fund under various schemes are given to encroachers in Sipajhar, and it is a hub of crimil activities, including cattle smuggling to Bangladesh. However, the police and the district administration turn a blind eye and huge amounts of money are made from these areas. We demand a judicial inquiry into the role of the district administration, including the Deputy Commissioner, Superintendent of Police and local MLA Binda Saikia in protecting the encroachers and terrorizing the local indigenous population.”

PBM member Mrinmoy Khatoniar and Daikshin-Paschim Goal Santha secretary Satya Rajbongshi were also present at the press meet.