Assam: Tribal Villagers in Chirang District Seek CM's Intervention to Reclaim Lands from Illegal Occupants

KOKRAJHAR: The tribal villagers of Mozabari villages under Sidli Revenue Circle in Chirang district, whose lands are forcefully grabbed and being used for agriculture purposes besides settled down by doubtful citizens, have demanded Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s intervention to evict them from the occupied lands of tribal people.

On Monday, the villagers came to BTC Secretariat to pressurize the BTC government to carry out the eviction drive as per directives of the Gauhati High Court as early as possible. They also submitted memorandum to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, and CEM of BTC Pramod Boro, urging them not to delay the eviction drive against the doubtful nationalities who have been occupying lands of Bodo tribal villagers in Mozabari for over the years by forceful means. The memorandum was signed by 28 villagers of Mozabari village and they mentioned the names of 56 doubtful nationalities who have been occupying their land after the 2012 riot. 

Talking to the media persons, a prominent villager Dinesh Basumatary of Mozabari village said that during the ethnic violence between the Bodos and the doubtful nationalities in the year 2012, they were compelled to leave the village from the patta lands for protection of their lives and liberty leaving behind their valuable landed properties. Taking advantage of the violence, the non-protected class of people belonging to the community of doubtful citizens forcefully and illegally occupied their patta land although they are protected by the statutory law of the land. He said that since their village is under Sidli tribal belt, the land grabbers have failed to register and transfer the occupied lands to their names but they have been using the lands for agricultural purposes over the years and the land revenues are being paid by the Bodo villagers in the office.

Basumatary said that the Division Bench of the Gauhati High Court way back in the year 2019, had directed the state of Assam as well as the BTC to take immediate steps to evict the illegal encroachers from the tribal belt and block. The passing of order by the Gauhati High Court has already elapsed five years but no action has been taken to comply with the direction passed by the Gauhati High Court. He questioned about the reason that the government of Assam and BTC could not initiate the eviction drive against the illegal encroachers of doubtful citizens whose official records in the Circle Office are mentioned as “illegal encroachers” and what has stopped them from following the High Court order. He also said that in the minutes of the Executive Council meeting of the BTC held on August 27, 2019, in item 3 - 3.1, as regards to the proposal endorsed by the department of Land revenue and DM in respect of eviction of unauthorized illegal occupants of village Mozabari under Sidli tribal belt was discussed in the EC meeting and it was reported by the Circle Officer of Sidli Revenue Circle that some unprotected classes of people have been illegally occupying the huge patta land belonging to Bodo tribal people. He further said that the Secretary of Land Revenue and DM department by communication vide No. BTC/LR-246/2018/70 dated 28.11.2019, No. BTC/LR-246/2018/96 dated 11.02.2020, and No. BTC/LR-246/2018/304 dated 22.02.2022, had asked for detailed reports from the Circle Officer of Sidli Revenue Circle but instead of taking any concrete and stern action the BTC government is shifting the burden from one shoulder to another. The action is seen only in papers and not in the practical field, he added.

The villagers said that the BTC government was not only neglecting the illegal encroachment issue despite the council government being empowered to evict the non-protected classes of people as per chapter- X of the Assam Land and Revenue Regulation Act, 1886. He said, “We have been persistently representing way back from 2015 but the BTC authorities failed to evict the illegal encroachers from our patta land. We believe only you can take commendable and futuristic measures to protect the indigenous people of Assam such as Assamese people and to maintain the demographic status of the state and instances of such measures to freed various Satras, Gorukhuti and large number of areas in your present tenure and as such, we are also hopeful, that you will intervene into the matter with the BTC Government to evict the illegal encroachers from our patta land.”

He said that if immediate and effective measures were not taken in this regard, a day will come when the indigenous people like the Bodos would be rendered minority and homeless and are sure to be governed and controlled by the encroachers.

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