Guwahati: The Asom Satra Mahasabha appealed to the state government to clear all encroached land in xatras in line with the on-going eviction drive on tribal land in Sonapur in the Kamrup Metro district. The Mahasabha stated that a large portion of xatra land across the state is being encroached upon.
Talking to The Sentinel, Mahasabha secretary general and xatradhikar of Sri Sri Tarabori Kalsila Satra of Morigaon district, Kusum Kumar Mahanta, said, “We welcome the eviction drive being carried out in Sonapur. This is important because the land belongs to tribal people, who are sons of the soil, and their lands are protected. However, according to information gathered by us, around 10,000 bighas of xatra land in Middle Assam and Lower Assam are encroached upon. After the BJP came to power in 2016, the encroached land in five xatras has been cleared so far. These are 140 bighas of land belonging to Batadrava Than, 6 bighas of Dakhinpat Satra, 55 bighas of Patekibori Satra, 40 bighas of Barpeta Satra, and 37 bighas belonging to Gopalata Satra. After this, the anti-encroachment drive lost steam, and so the drive has to be resumed in earnest by the government. If xatras do not survive, Assamese culture and society will also not survive.”
“The Assam government constructed some ponds under the Amrit Sarovar scheme in lands belonging to xatras. The maintenance of the Sarovars should be the prerogative of the xatra management. If the lands are to remain as at present, there is a genuine fear that the land will be encroached on. So, the responsibility of maintaining the Sarovars should be handed over to the xatras as they exist within the areas of xatras,” Mahanta further stated.
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