STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: The protests against the eviction process at the Silsako Beel took a disturbing turn when two women protested without clothes. This kind of protest has been seen for a long time, that too just a few kilometres from the state secretariat as well as the district headquarters, raising questions as to the situation in the state wherein the women have taken such an unexpected step in the name of protest.
The most recent round of protests started on Thursday, when officials from the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) along with officials from the district administration arrived at the location to conduct a demarcation operation regarding the boundaries of the Silsako Beel. Although yesterday’s protest was mostly limited to sloganeering and minor clashes between the police and the protesters, it took a very different turn today when two female protesters decided to remove most of their clothes in protest of the actions of the administration and came in front of the protesters, police, officials of various departments, and the media.
The police personnel were able to bring the situation under control by detaining some of the protesters as the authorities appealed to the protesters to maintain peace. Meanwhile, around 1,000 police personnel have been deployed at the location to prevent any untoward incidents.
Talking about the incident, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, “We have been in talks with the people of the locality for the last three days and came to an agreement regarding the extent of eviction. The amounts paid in compensation were also decided, and necessary announcements were made regarding the same through the DC. We are also planning to provide flats in the city to those evicted from the locality. The people who are currently protesting belong to a particular organisation and protest over anything and everything, so I have ordered the police to take the strictest action against these people.”
A local person who was participating in the protest and did not want to be named said, “The police have detained nearly 30 people protesting against the eviction process. Why can’t the leaders come here and talk directly with us, and why hold meetings behind closed doors? The government does not care what happens to the poor citizens of the state. and added that it is completely illogical that some houses are demolished while others are not. Another protester mentioned that the police personnel had been deployed before and were ready to arrest anyone who opened their mouth in protest. Meanwhile, an official from GMDA mentioned that they were not involved with the eviction process, which is being carried out by the government, and that they were merely concerned with the development of a project.
The protests have been going on for the last several months after the administration decided to evict the people living in the location, saying that they had encroached into a natural wetland and the waterways of the city needed to be cleared to restore ecological balance, citing that over 150 bighas of land have been encroached upon. Since then, numerous protests have broken out in the region, but this is the first time that the women of the locality have protested in such a way.
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