Xatra Mahasabha moves PM over encroachments

By Our Staff Reporter

Guwahati, Sept 12: The Axom Xatra Mahasabha has moved Prime Minister rendra Modi seeking a direction to authorities concerned to clear the encroached Xatra lands in the State. In a memorandum to the Prime Minister, Mahasabha's president Jitendra th Pradhani stated that according to government figures, around 6,576 bighas of Xatra land is under illegal occupation.

"The then State Revenue minister Dr Bhumidhar Barman had admitted that his department failed to clear the encroachments," Pradhani said, adding that most of the tracts are under occupation of illegal migrants.

The Mahasabha cited a report on Xatra land encroachment by Northeast Policy Institute (NPI) which found Alipukhuri Than to be the worst affected with 65 bighas of the mostery under illegal occupation. The State has 898 Xatras founded in the 15th century by Vaishvite saint Srimanta Sankardeva, Sri Madhavdeva and other disciples, and subsequently by order Vaishva Gurus to propagate the monotheistic philosophy of neo-Vaishvism in Assam.

The Xatra Study Committee of NPI stated in its report that the problem of encroachment of Xatra lands goes back to post-Independence days when people from erstwhile East Pakistan came to Assam. "However, it is a fact that encroachment is still a persistent reality," the memorandum stated. Not stopping at grabbing Xatra lands, many such illegal migrants have also taken to theft, dacoities, rapes, murders and other heinous crimes.

Encroached Xatra lands

Bardua Xatra - 283 bighas, gaon

Bali Xatra - 462 bighas,

gaon

Rampur Xatra - 584 bighas, Morigaon

Adi Alengi Xatra- 450 bighas, Lakhimpur

Bapupara Xatra - 110 bighas, Goalpara

Vishnupur Xatra - 161 bighas, Goalpara

Ramrial Kuthi Xatra- 1,000 bighas, Dhubri

Simalabari Xatra - 195 bighas, Bangaigaon

Barpeta Xatra - 460 bighas, Barpeta

Kobaikata Xatra- 120 bighas, gaon

Alipukhuri Xatra- 186 bighas, Morigaon