CPI demands immediate halt to eviction drives in Assam, Calls for Opposition Unity

A CORRESPONDENT

NAZIRA: The CPI on Wednesday demanded an immediate halt to the ‘inhumane’ eviction drives being carried out in various parts of the state.

In a press conference held at Nazira on July 15, CPI state secretary Kanak Gogoi stated that the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led state government was conducting evictions in an extremely arbitrary and inhumane manner. He demanded that the government adhere to the Supreme Court’s guidelines and provide alternative rehabilitation to those being evicted. He argued that if the government can identify illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, it should deport them to Bangladesh through a bilateral agreement.

Gogoi criticized the government’s offer of 1.5 kathas of land and Rs 50,000 as contradictory and stated that the Chief Minister is actually working to hand over the land to corporate giants like Adani, Ambani, and Ramdev. He urged the people to oppose the government's privatization policy and corporate-friendly land acquisition drive, emphasizing that the state's identity and land cannot be protected by dispossessing its people.

The CPI also demanded that the government utilize existing land laws to provide land to all indigenous landless people and issue pattas to encroaching farmers. He said, “If the government fails to do so, it questions the government's commitment to its minimum responsibilities. How can the Chief Minister justify denying land to indigenous people when government officials and ministers, such as Ashok Singhal, Jayanta Mallabaruah, and Atul Bora, have acquired land in the names of their families. We demand to know why indigenous Assamese people are being denied the same rights to land.”

Kanak Gogoi appealed to the Opposition parties to unite against the BJP-led government, which he believed was ruling the state and country in a manner that necessitates the unity of Opposition forces to free the people. He emphasized that no single party could defeat the BJP alliance alone, and therefore, it was essential to consolidate all Opposition forces.

The CPI leader emphasized the importance of unity among Opposition parties to protect the Constitution and the country’s federal structure from the BJP’s divisive politics. He also stressed the need for the opposition to go beyond election-oriented discussions and build a united struggle on the streets against the government's attacks on the people.

Gogoi suggested that opposition leaders should be cautious in their statements and work towards building a credible alternative policy framework that could win the trust of the people. He said that he believed that only through such a united and principled approach could the Opposition succeed in its mission.

The CPI also opposed the government’s attempt to block the peace talk process with ULFA by launching an attack on their camp in Myanmar. It demanded that the government treat the ULFA issue as a political problem rather than a law and order issue and address the root causes of the problem.

The CPI demanded that six communities be granted ST status and special state status be given to Assam under Articles 370 and 371 (A). The party appealed to the existing ST communities to support this demand in the interest of Assam’s future. This would ensure that no outsider or foreigner could claim the ownership of Assam’s land, Gogoi said.

Gogoi also spoke about the state’s inability to cope with the drought-like situations in various districts and said that it had exposed the government’s hollow claims. The CPI state Secretary demanded that the government develop a comprehensive irrigation system to enable two to three crops to be grown in all fields.

The CPI also demanded a high-level investigation into the cattle smuggling and cow sale scam in Goru Khuti’s agricultural farm and punishment for those found guilty.

Also Read: Major Eviction Drive In Assam's Goalpara To Remove Forest Land Encroachment

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