GUWAHATI, March 6 - The Bokakhat-based Jeepal Krishak-Shramik Sangha has demanded institution of an independent inquiry by a commission into all the cases of �encounters� in Kaziranga National Park (KNP).
The death of on-duty forest guards of Kaziranga National Park should also be brought under the jurisdiction of such an inquiry, it said.
It also demanded immediate revocation of the ban order issued against BBC journalist Justin Rowlat.
The organisation�s president Mantu Bora and general secretary Putul Narah also demanded in a statement here immediate revocation of the eviction orders served on 666 families of Kaziranga �until the legal process for the purpose is carried out thoroughly and completely.�
Further, they called for steps to introduce a policy to compensate the people Kaziranga areas against all the losses sustained in regard to human life, crop, livestock and property due to animal depredations.
The Government should compensate the families of those casual employees of the national park who have lost their lives or suffered injuries in the face of attack by wild animals, it said.
Bora and Narah in their statement alleged that the Forest Department has not kept its word to provide a job to a family member of seven-year-old Akash Orang, who sustained bullet injuries at the hands of KNP officials. Further, Mono Bora, a poor farmer suffered permanent physical and mental damage because of electric shocks and brutal torture by a DFO and an ACF. The assurance of the Forest Department to provide compensation and monetary help to meet the medical expenses of his family has not materialised so far, alleged Bora and Narah.
There are many such cases of atrocities carried out by the KNP authorities on the people living in the Kaziranga area and these cases have been sought to be covered up by the Forest Department, they alleged.
