BJSM slams BTC for not following Gauhati High Court’s order

KOKRAJHAR: Bodoland Janajati Suraksha Mancha (BJSM) on Saturday welcomed the Gauhati High Court’s repeated order to free all tribal belts and blocks from encroachers as soon as possible and at the same time the Mancha slammed the BTC authority which informed the court in the hearing that only 300 bighas of tribal belt and blocks land was made free from encroachers out of over 4 lakh bighas of encroachment of land.

In a statement, the vice president of the BJSM, DD Narzary welcomed the fresh order of Gauhati High Court to make all tribal belts and blocks free from non tribal encroachers. He said the High Court had issued fresh order to free all tribal belts and blocks from non tribal encroachers as the Deputy Commissioners of respective districts having tribal belts and blocks including BTC authority have miserably failed to carry out eviction drive against non tribal encroachers. He said the next hearing would be held on June 23. He also slammed the BTC authority for total failure to follow the eviction order of Gauhati High Court and said that the action taken to evict only 300 bighas of tribal land was a matter of same as 3.5 lakh bighas of tribal belts and blocks in BTC have been encroached by non tribals and outsiders.

Narzary said there are 3,49,505 bighas of tribal lands in BTC illegally encroached by non tribals viz 1,30,269 bighas in Kokrajhar district, 66,987 bighas in Chirang, 1,35,715 bighas in Baksa and 1,65,354 bighas in Udalguri district. He also said, the DCs of respective districts in rest of Assam had also failed to carry out section drive to free tribal belts and blocks. The BJSM filed a PIL in Gauhati High Court seeking action to evict all illegal encroachers in tribal belts and blocks in 2012 and according to case no 78/2012, the Gauhati High Court issued order to all DCs of Assam and Principal Secretary of BTC to free all tribal belts and blocks from illegal encroachers. He also said during hearing on PIL 78/2012, the divisional bench of Chief Justice Sandeep Mehta and Justice Arun Dev Choudhury directed the BTC authority to ensure that measures are taken to make tribal belts and blocks free from all encroachers but despite this fact the BTC authority had miserably failed to take action.

The BJSM leader said the government of Assam was seen carrying out eviction drive in various parts of the state but the government has not carried out eviction drive in tribal belts and blocks due to reasons best known to them. He also reiterated that the government instead of taking action against illegal encroachers in tribal belts and blocks, carry out eviction drive frequently against Bodo and other tribal people in the State. The tribal belts and blocks are the future of tribal people for existence and the tribal belts and blocks must be protected as per Chapter-X of Assam Land and Revenue Regulation Act,1886 and amended in 1949, he said adding that the time had come for all tribal communities to stand united against the partial attitude of the government in eviction drive.

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