Illegal migrants encroach upon thousands of bighas of land in Sonitpur district
TEZPUR, Aug 24 - Cocking a snook at the ruling BJP government�s avowed mission to safeguard the indigenous people�s land, their language, culture and heritage, many suspected illegal Bangladeshis have already settled in different parts of the Sonitpur district by grabbing huge chunks of government lands. The problem has now taken a critical turn posing a serious threat to the very existence of the local people. Though it has been a much-discussed issue for the people at large, but apart from an eviction drive conducted against the illegal Bangladeshi settlers in Sootea LAC in Sonitpur district under the initiative of MLA, Padma Hazarika, the people here say that the Sarbananda Sonowal-led State government has not been seen taking any notable action against illegal settlers in the district.
Among the nine LACs in the district � Sootea, Biswanath, Tezpur and Barchala are the most affected ones. Describing how the illegal Bangladeshis are rapidly growing in the region, state secretary of BJP Kishore Upadhyay mentioned that nearly 10,000 suspected Bangladeshis have settled in many isles (locally known as tapu or char) of the river Brahmaputra in Barchala LAC which includes Asigar Tapu, Sardar Tapu, Ali Tengani, Duparamari, Abedar Char, Rani Tapu, Siali Tapu, Arimari Tapu, Khundulia Tapu, Butmari Tapu, Botalibil Tapu, Botabil, Ghulirpar, Kochmora, Theng Bhonga Chapori, Mandia Tapu, Dubai Tapu, Lankey Tapu, Mekar Tapu, Akrati Tapu, Potharduba, Tinkur Tapu, Rajabari etc.
Upadhyay, a local resident of Garuduba area in Barchala LAC who has been vocal on the issue also mentioned that there are some other tapus and char areas in Barchala where over 3000 illegal Bangladeshis have settled. He also revealed that making these areas their safe haven, they carry out unlawful activities like car lifting, burglary, theft, running of cow syndicate in nexus with certain local influential forces etc.
It needs mention here that a few years back, illegal settlers had even raped and murdered a Nepali woman at Garuduba area near Suti-Pahar under Thelamara PS. AASU district vice president Bhaskar Nath and the president of Sonitpur district Bajrang Dal, Gautam Kar, alleged that some local land mafias have sold lands to suspected illegal Bangladeshis, which has changed the entire demographic status of the area. They also mentioned that in the later years during the Congress regime, the local representatives inspired these illegal settlers to carry on their activities only in the interest of cultivation of vote bank. �Now this politically motivated encroachment has become a big blow for the local indigenous people.�
Likewise in the prestigious Tezpur LAC also at Dulabari, Bhumuraguri, Bhumuraguri Pahar, Batomari, Barghat, Barghuli, Napam (Sulmara), Bhumuraguri bridge to Bishnu Rabha Samadhi khetra area on the Brahmaputra river bank and in Kalibari Tapu, Baghe Tapu, Jajah Tapu, Mekar Tapu, Chanda Tapu, Majbali char and on a huge chunk of government lands at Burachapori Reserve Forest many suspected illegal Bangladeshis have settled. Worried over the present critical situation caused by these suspected infiltrators, people of the Tezpur LAC alleged that only for the sake of their political careers, the local public representative also keeps silent on the issue. Nilakhya Sharma, an advocate and a conscious citizen of Tezpur LAC said that at a time when the Sootea MLA Padma Hazarika is taking bold steps against illegal Bangladeshi settlers, some leaders in Tezpur are seen busy dabbling in politics over the burning issue. �We have come to know that about 8000 families with their 30,000 family members who had been evicted recently under Padma Hazarika�s initiative from Laletapu, Panpur Bhairabi, Kasomari, Lungi Bajar, Dighali-Chapori, Gotaimari, Nanke Gotaimari, Chowkighat and Mokuachapori under Nadwar Revenue circle in Sootea LAC have been settled in many char-chapori areas in Tezpur and Barchala LACs by some unscrupulous political leaders for their political benefit,� he said.
Not only this, in Thelamara-Owbari area also near the newly-established Polytechnic College, about 300 bighas of government land, have already been encroached upon by suspected illegal Bangladeshi nationals.
Amidst this critical situation, the people hope and are still optimistic that the government would do the needful to make an Assam free of encroachment by Bangladeshis.