Thousands stage protest, demand land rights for non-tribals in BTC

From a Correspondent

TANGLA, March 7: In continuation of the protest programmes in various parts of BTAD demanding the land rights of the non-tribals living in Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC), an estimated 8,000 people marched from Bapuji Prakalpa throughout Mazbat town in Udalguri calling for equal rights and rethinking of the BTC cabinet’s decision, on Wednesday.

 The protest held under the aegis of Assam Tea Tribes Students’ Association (ATTSA), Mazbat, in co-ordition of local units of AASAA, AASU, AAGSU, AKRSU, ARSU, AJYCP, AAMSU and Kalita Jagosthi, was joined by thousands.

 The massive rally culmited at Rajiv Gandhi Mini-Stadium in Mazbat. A protest meet was also held at the end of the rally which was addressed by AASAA president Melkhas Toppo, secretary of Oboro Suraksha Samiti, Jogeshwar Kalita and local AAGSU leaders. The protestors also handed over a memorandum to Mazbat Revenue Circle Officer, Dhritiman Das addressed to Governor Jagdish Mukhi and Chief Minister Sarbanda Sonowal.  The memorandum stated that in the tribal belts and blocks, the land rights of backward and protected indigenous people such as tea tribes, Santhal, Koch Rajbongshi, th Yogis, Gorkhas and others were secure but the BTC cabinet had considered them non-tribals in the BTC area and deprived of their land rights. The memorandum termed the BTC cabinet’s move as a conspiracy to wipe out non-tribals from the BTC region and sought the intervention of the State Government for securing the economic and social rights of the non-tribal communities of BTC with equal land rights for all.

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