SDS bans the selling of land in Singpho traditional villages to non-Singpho people
OUR CORRESPONDENT
BORDUMSA: Singpho Development Society (SDS) –the apex Singpho community-based organization- has put a blanket ban on selling of land or transfer of land rights across all Singpho traditional villages in Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh to person or people other than its own community people. The resolution was adopted during a meeting held under the banner of the SDS recently at the Singpho Heritage and Cultural Centre at Bordumsa in Changlang district.
"The rampant and unabated selling of land in Singpho villages to the people of other communities under any circumstances would not be tolerated at all as the practices would have a direct bearing upon the culture, tradition, and very existence of the Singpho identity and its historical legacy," said Jowkhong Singpho, the president of the SDS, who acted as the chairman of the proceeding.
The meeting, which was attended by Duwas-the Singpho chiefs, gaon buras of various Singpho inhabited villages, organizational leaders of the community, senior Singpho leaders, youth leaders, students and union leaders, unanimously reached the decision to preserve the rich cultural heritage of the Singpho community against the imminent threat emerging out of the rampant selling of their land to non-Singpho people.
It has also been observed during the field survey conducted by The Sentinel that a good portion of land belonging to Singpho community was sold off at Dapkhu village in Bordumsa, which has been viewed as detrimental for the community in long run. It was also revealed that certain Singpho families of the said village are leading life in utter distress, either being hit by poverty or drug addiction, which drives them to sell off the land to anyone who can afford to pay handsomely without considering the community interest.
Following the considerations of all the related pros and cons of the matter, four-point resolutions were adopted - first being the imposition of a complete ban on selling of land to non-Singphos within the territorial jurisdiction of traditional Singpho villages with immediate effect. Secondly, an action committee will be immediately constituted to monitor the illegal transfer of village or community land by means of selling, donations, gift deeds, lease, mortgage, rents. Thirdly, stern action will be initiated against the village heads for issuing or singing the NOC which is mandatory for procuring the Land Possession Certificate from the competent authority while transferring the land ownership title in the court of law. Finally, the SDS will convene another meeting shortly to discuss certain burning and sensitive issues concerning the Singpho people of various locations across the district and the Singpho villages located in nearby Assam also.
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