Tribal villagers being systematically forced to vacate villages: BJSM

 BJSM urges Assembly Speaker to visit Bodo tribal villages

OUR CORRESPONDENT

KOKRAJHAR: Close on the heels of granting indigenous status to Gorkhas and the government's move to de-reserve tribal belts and blocks to give land rights to people belonging to non-notified class of people, the Bodoland Janajati Suraksha Mancha (BJSM) launched a scathing attack on the present government for failing to provide safety and security to the lives and properties of indigenous tribal people and protection of tribal lands from illegal occupation of foreigners.

The working president of the BJSM, DD Narzary reiterated that the successive State governments had failed to protect the lives and properties of indigenous tribal people, besides failing to protect the tribal lands from being illegally occupied by non-protected class of people. He urged the Speaker of the Assam Legislative Assembly to pay a visit to the Bodo tribal villages in Kokrajhar district and see as how tribal villagers were systematically forced to vacate their villages during riots with immigrant Muslims and Adivasis.

Narzary said that the then Speaker of the Assam Legislative had invited tribal organizations to take part in a meeting held on December 3, 2019 to discuss and interact on the topic of socio-economic development of the Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) at Janata Bhavan, in Guwahati. There he got an opportunity to apprise the then Speaker about the plights of the Bodos and other tribes. He said that the Speaker had patiently heard him when he had narrated the plights of the Bodos and other tribals during the riot and after hearing about their condition, he assured and promised that he would pay a visit along with his team to the affected villages of the Bodos and other tribal communities. However, the then Speaker could not visit the affected villages owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Narzary said that in the last assembly election, Biswajit Daimary was elected as an MLA and subsequently, appointed to the post of Speaker of Assam Legislative Assembly. "We do respect and congratulate him on becoming the first Bodo Speaker of the Assam Legislative Assembly. He is aware of the fact that during the clash in 2012 between the Bodos and the immigrant Muslims, 31 Bodo families of Takimari village under Lakhiganj PS had to abandon their villages," Narzary said, adding that the Bodo people of Gungunikata, Baokhabangi, Barshi and Barshidiabari in Kokrajhar district had to shift themselves to safer places for they felt insecure in their villages. He also said that during the Bodo-Santhal clash in 2014, Bodo people of Pulkumari, Pakihaga, Samthaibari, Somaijhar, Nilaijhora, Sukanbaonia, Borogopa and Silgagri villages under Gossaigaon subdivision were "compelled" to vacate the villages which are now occupied by the Santhals.

Narzary said that apart from these, under Sidli circle of Chirang district, the Bodo people of Dologaon, Majabari and Choto Majabari had to vacate their villages owing to illegal encroachment by immigrant Muslim community. The BJSM urged Daimary to visit the affected villages along with his team to take stock of the situation there.

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