GARUDUBA (DHEKIAJULI), Oct 31 - The local people of Bhora-Singri area on the bank of Brahmaputra under Thelamara Revenue Circle have demanded of the authorities to continue the eviction drive carried out on October 20 to free the area of illegal Bangladeshis.
People here allege that some influential forces with vested interests have been trying to resettle those evicted illegal settlers. As per information available with the village headman of the area (lat gaonburha), there are 2,200 households among which only 250 are legal Indian citizens. The remaining are illegal Bangladeshis who have settled in the area occupying government lands by managing fake documents in nexus with local unscrupulous land mafia.
�These illegal people were settled in the area during the earlier governments with political motives have committed many heinous crimes in the area till date,� one of the victims of the area who didn�t want to be named said, describing how tactfully these illegal Bangladeshis have engulfed them from all sides.
During a visit to the area by this correspondent, he said that these people do not hesitate to commit crimes. �Our cows, vehicles, croplands or even the dignity of our women is not secure. We have to pass sleepless nights on account of these illegal settlers as burglaries have become a regular affair.� He said a rally taken out by local indigenous people on August 5 was attacked by these illegal settlers.
Locals who are still in dread of the unlawful activities of the illegal settlers in the area lament that in the past one week after the eviction drive conducted by the administration, some vested political leaders and activists from organisations under the influence of fundamentalist forces have been politicking over the matter, instead of sincerely dealing with the issue. �They are trying to provide safeguards to these illegal settlers for their political benefits, but never think for a minute how they can free the illegally-occupied government land,� some of the villagers stated.
Recently, former minister Tanka Bahabur Rai and Congress MLA from Rupohihat Nurul Huda, during their visit to the area, had to face an unwanted situation. Aggrieved local people protested their visit, shouting slogans. The people have urged the administration not to go slow on the matter, but continue with the eviction drive more forcefully to free the area from illegal Bangladeshis� occupation.