Assam: BJSM resolves to go for agitation from June demanding eviction in BTR

OUR CORRESPONDENT

KOKRAJHAR: The Bodoland Janajati Suraksha Manch (BJSM), on Sunday expressed strong resentment over what it termed as a systematic failure of the government to carry out eviction drives against illegal encroachers in reserve forests and tribal belts and blocks of BTR. It resolved to start a democratic mass movement from the first week of June demanding eviction drives.

Speaking to The Sentinel, the President of the BJSM, DD Narzary, said that a crucial meeting of the Manch was held on Saturday wherein the organization strongly reaffirmed its uncompromising demand for immediate eviction of all illegal encroachers from the reserve forest areas under BTC.

The meeting unanimously resolved that the BJSM would submit a final ultimatum to the Council Head of the Department (CHD), Forest, BTC, on May 18, demanding the start of eviction drives within the month of May itself, failing which they would resort to launch a strong democratic mass movement from the first week of June across the BTR region. The BJSM expressed deep anguish, resentment and frustration over the continued silence and inaction of the Forest Department despite the passage of several months since the brutal killing of a local Bodo tribal contractor on January 12 and the shocking attack on Runikhata Forest Range office on April 17, during which the government properties were vandalized and arms were looted.

The Mancha observed that these incidents could not be treated as ordinary law-and-order problems as the nature of the attacks, organized aggression, and armed activities in the forest areas resembled extremist and Maoist-style operations, which posed a serious threat to peace, constitutional governance, and the very foundation of the BTC under the Sixth Schedule.

Also Read: Assam Govt Launches Phased Eviction Drive as CM Vows to Reclaim 1,250 sq km of Encroached Land