MANGALDAI, June 5 - A public meeting organised by several non-political public bodies, including Prabrajon Birodhi Mancha, Asom, Sangrami Sathirtha Sanmilan, Darrang, Dakhsin Mangaldai Gowala Santha and Jatiya Nagarik Mancha, Darrang, at Darrang Zila Sahitya Sabha auditorium here today stressed the need of early action against illegal encroachers on all government land across the State.
The meeting discussed the future course of action with regard to the demand for eviction of all suspected Bangladeshi encroachers from thousands of bighas of PGR and VGR land in Phuhuratoli, Dholpur and Kuruwa areas under the Sipajhar Revenue Circle of the district after the district administration allegedly failed to keep its promise of freeing the areas from illegal land grabbers.
The meeting presided over by Ramesh Barua, president of Sangrami Sathirtha Sanmilan, was addressed by Upamanyu Hazarika, senior lawyer of the apex court and the chief convener of Prabrajan Birodhi Mancha, Manik Das, Premeswar Sarma, Pawan Bhuyan and Khanindra Rajbongshi among others. The speakers raised many issues relating to the rights of indigenous people over land with 1951 as the base year, formation of a special security force for protection of government land, launching of a mass campaign to motivate educated and local youths for farming and putting pressure on the new public representatives from the district, especially those belonging to the ruling alliance, to raise these issues in the Assembly.
A few speakers also criticised the role of the Deputy Commissioner, Darrang, with regard to the incident at Hetou Chapori under the Mangaldai Revenue Circle a few months back in which miscreants, in a bid to encroach on land occupied by local farmers, allegedly attacked them and damaged property.
The meeting also expressed grave concern over the ongoing work of installing power lines in areas under PGR between Kholihoi and Phuhuratoli at Amingaon in Kamrup Rural district, allegedly even when the model code of conduct for the recent Assembly polls had remained in force and there were security threats posed by illegal encroachers to indigenous residents in the Satkholi area.
The meeting demanded immediate halt to the power connection works and all other development schemes in those areas under PGR and VGR. It also demanded security for the indigenous people of Satkholi and its adjoining areas.
