Land dispute sparks off public protest in Dumporijo

A CORRESPONDENT

DAPORIJO: Hundreds of people took to the streets here recently to protest against the court verdict ordering the eviction of Diji Haji land in Dumporijo, Upper Subansiri organized by the Haji Village Development Committee (HVDC) under the aegis of the Kara Welfare Society (KWS).

The protesters' demands also included protection, preservation and safeguarding of the Maa-Marnyo land, protection of Kara land, etc.

On April 4, the local administration had issued an eviction order to the original inhabitants, based on a complaint lodged by one Makam Ronya.

On December 12, 1987, Ronya had filed a written complaint against Nama Haji and Tabin Dakpe, accusing them of illegally constructing a house in his agricultural land at Digi. Later, Ronya got the case registered against residents of Digi village on February 8, 2005.

Writing to the Additional Deputy Commissioner of Dumporijo, the Haji Village Development Committee claimed that the court in its judgment on December 27, 2007 had declared the construction of the house at Digi village as illegal. Haji Village Development Committee president Talen Haji said that the residents of Digi village have been demanding that the court implement the order passed in 1965 and 1969, where it had ruled in favour of the Haji clan. It also demanded that Makam Ronya and Jari Ronya's houses be declared illegal.

According to official documents, the disputed land belonged to the Haji clan and was also claimed by villages including Nuk, Rumte, Gongo, Rupuk, Rilo, Riba, Taji Param, and Meche Marde, where Ronya village is situated.

On October 28, 1965, the local administration had settled the dispute and demarcated the boundaries of the villages and cultivable land.

He claimed that the court had declared the construction of the dwelling house as illegal but didn't say anything about the encroached cultivation land or the schedule of the Digi village land.

Haji requested the administration to notify the exact area of encroached cultivation land of the Ronya clan at Digi before carrying out the eviction drive. He said Digi is recognized as a village as per Government census and has its own village authority such as gaon burahs and gram panchayat.

Digi also has many Government services and facilities like Anganwadi centre, water supply, SBM, power connectivity, etc., he added. Haji said that the villagers have buried their loved ones at Digi and are emotionally and sentimentally attached to it.

He appealed to the local administration to arrange an alternate place for the resettlement of the residents of Digi before carrying out the eviction drive.

Haji said that the failure to resettle the residents may result in law-and-order problems between the residents of Digi and Ronya villages.

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