United Tribal Organization Assam flays 'anti-tribal' comments, asks Naba Sarania to exercise restraint

Our Correspondent

Kokrajhar: United Tribal Organization, Assam (UTOA) on Thursday lashed out at Kokrajhar MP Naba Kumar Sarania for his alleged anti-tribal comments and warned that he must stop his 'anti-tribal'stand.

At a press meet held at Kokrajhar Press Club, the president of UTOA, Markush Basumatary said the Government of Assam in the affidavit based on the Gauhati High Court order had said over 4.5 lakh bighas of tribal belts and blocks land had been illegally occupied by non-tribals and suspected nationals. He said that Sarania had warned in certain media that the situation would be bad if 15 lakh non-Bodo or non-tribal people of BTC region were evicted as per the directives of the High Court.

"Sarania should realize that he won the Kokrajhar ST seat by acquiring ST certificate and thus, he must work for the interest of tribal people," he said, adding that Sarania's comments were a matter of grave concern.

The president of the UTOA said the O-Boro leaders on many occasions had claimed that they constituted over 80 per cent population in the BTC region but these leaders were reluctant to go for verification, whether the people living in tribal belts and blocks were really bona fide citizens. He said the data shown by the State Government regarding the occupation of over 4.5 lakh bighas of tribal belts and blocks land was a matter of grave threat towards the existence of tribal communities. He said Sarania had always been vocal about the interests of non-tribals and suspected Bangladeshis but not for the tribal people. He also demanded that the government should evict all illegal encroachers in tribal belts and blocks as per directives of the High Court.

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