Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI: The Army handed over the 'Lama Camp' with its 41 hectares of land laden with a history involving none other than the Dalai Lama to the Wildlife Division of Assam Forest on July 10, 2024.
In March 1959, when the Dalai Lama entered the then-greater Assam near Tawang (now in Arunachal Pradesh), the Army that escorted him to Assam made him (the Dalai Lama) take rest at this site. The army then erected a camp covering an area of 41 hectares near the Missamari Army base in the Sonitpur district. Since then, the Army has named it Lama Camp.
The Lama Camp was active with the presence of the Army in the greater interest of the security of the country. From Lama Camp, the Dalai Lama came down to Tezpur, from where he went to Derhadun by train and then to Mussoorie, where he met the then Prime Minister, Jawharlal Nehru.
Though the Lama Camp was set up in 1959, the Assam Government declared the forested area Sonai Rupai Wildlife Sanctuary, including the Lama Camp area, in 1998. With the camp posing a threat to wildlife, the state government took up the issue with the Army. Respecting the standing order of the Supreme Court that barred non-forest activities in wildlife sanctuaries, the Army handed over the Lama Camp with its 41 hectares of land to the Wildlife Forest Division. Army Major General Neeraj Shukla handed over the camp to the Forest Division in the presence of the Sonitpur District Commissioner and Additional Chief Secretary of the Government of Assam (Forest), MK Yadav.
Handing over the documents, Maj. Gen. Shukla said that the Dalai Lama was born in July, and the Army also handed over the Lama Camp to the civil administration in July.
Yadav said that the department would not dismantle the Lama Camp but use it as the camp of the third Forest Battalion for the protection of wildlife.
In an interesting twist to this episode, the NGT, Eastern (National Green Tribunal), sought a report from the Assam Government stating as to why it (the state government) was allowing unauthorised activities (non-forest activities) inside the Sonai Rupai Wildlife Sanctuary. NGT will hear the issue on August 21, 2024. One Dilip Nath lodged a complaint with the NGT in 2003, alleging that the state government constructed schools, paved roads, etc. inside the Sonai-Rupai Wildlife Sanctuary.
Also Read: Assam: Forest officials reclaim encroached land in Marakdola Reserve Forest (sentinelassam.com)
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