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Mixed reactions to eviction in Kaziranga

By Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, Sept 19 - The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) today termed the eviction drive in Kaziranga as an �irresponsible act� by the State government, without arranging for rehabilitation and compensation for the affected people.

Senior APCC spokesperson Apurba Kumar Bhattacharya said that a democratically elected government has certain responsibilities for its citizens and any such eviction activity must be carried out in a sensitive manner.

�We all want that not just Kaziranga, but the entire State must be free from illegal foreign migrants. But, if the affected persons are not foreign nationals, arrangements for their rehabilitation and adequate compensation is a government responsibility,� said Bhattacharya, condemning the police high-handedness on the protesters that led to the death of two persons.

On the other hand, asking the political parties and organisations to desist from politicising the issue of eviction in Kaziranga, the All Assam Lawyers� Association (AALA) said the Gauhati High Court�s directive must be respected by all concerned.

The lawyers� body, however, also stated that those having any complaint against the court order, can take the legal recourse and move the Supreme Court, rather than inciting people in public meetings.

AALA president Pradyut Kumar Bora and general secretary Dipak Kumar Das said that genuine land owners, who have been evicted, must be given immediate and adequate compensation.

�AALA supports the Gauhati High Court order for evicting the inhabitants from some additions of the National Park. The step is a must for protecting and preserving the wildlife of Kaziranga. The step taken by the State government accordingly, is also necessary to ensure the safety of animals in the National Park,� a statement mentioned.

Expressing concern at the violence and sensation in the area, AALA said that no one should try to gain political mileage out of the issue.

Reacting to the incident, the All Assam Minorities Students� Union (AAMSU) has alleged that the eviction drive is being carried out without adequate compensation and provisions for rehabilitation.

The students� body staged protest demonstrations in different parts of the State and a road blockade near Rajdhani Masjid, Guwahati, alleging that the �one-sided decision� of the State government has little concern for the people living in the area for several decades. It also burnt the effigies of Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Ministers Himanta Biswa Sarma and Keshab Mahanta.

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