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TINSUKIA: The Margherita district unit of All Assam Tribal Sangha (AATS), while demanding Tirap Autonomous District Council encompassing Margherita Tirap Transferred Tribal Belt, asked the government to provide myadi patta to all tribals who had settled in Tirap tribal belt, especially in Namphai Sonali Janajati Gaon and Namsik Lisang Goan.
Bhabesh Taye, secretary of AATS, Margherita district committee, told media persons at Tinsukia Press Club on Monday and also pointed out in the press communiqué that the tribal people of the area were subjected to injustice, discrimination and atrocities by the State machinery. He regretted that maximum number of hills tribal Buddhist religious minority-dominated contiguous areas in Margherita subdivision were deliberately excluded from the present tribal belt by 'anti-tribal, anti-Buddhist high caste officials' and the Government of Assam without proper survey and verification of records in gross violation of the clear provisions of Chapter X of Assam Land Revenue Regulation Act of 1886.
Taye mentioned that the Tirap Transferred Tribal Belt was created vide letter no TAD/Rev/7350/43 of 13.03.1951covering an area of 3484,800 bighas of land, especially to protect the land inhibited by Singpho, Tai Khamti, Tai Phakey, Tangsas and Sema Nagas of the areas with separate administrative system and the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation Act of 1945 was retained for the area. But in 1953, the area was divided into two units. While one was included in present Arunachal Pradesh and is known as Tirap district, the other was designated as Margherita Tirap Transferred Areas in the State of Assam under the administrative control of the then Dibrugarh district with appointment of Assistant Political Officer (APO), which has now been abolished, Taye said. The deplorable state of affairs being witnessed presently was due to the apathetic attitude of politically-elected representatives of Margherita constituency, Taye alleged.
The AATS has placed a charter of demands, which included enforcement of Chapter X of Assam Land Revenue Regulation Act of 1886 in Tirap Tribal Belt to safeguard the very existence of aboriginal tribal people of the area; appointment of an ADC to oversee Sadiya and Tirap tribal belts properly; eviction of encroachers along with demolition of all illegal structures, besides issuance of myadi patta and formation of Tirap Autonomous District Council.
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