DIPHU, Dec 12 - The Karbi Students� Association (KSA) Central Executive Committee organised a �Mass Rally� programme on Tuesday at Diphu corresponding with the International Human Rights Day to raise awareness for the protection of natural resources and indigenous people�s land at Semson Sing Ingti Memorial Park. Organising secretary of KSA, Raju Engti later briefed the media about the significance of the rally.
�The region (Northeast) is facing the brunt, especially Karbi Anglong district, where one can see unabated smuggling of timber and hectares of land being cleared by felling trees. Apart from that, illegal sand and coal mining in the district is rampant. The indigenous tribes settled in these areas for generations have been relocated to other places in the name of elephant corridors and eco-sensitive zones which is a gross violation of the rights of indigenous people,� Engti said.
He also mentioned that in the name of development and search for crude oil, people living for centuries in villages like Dhansiri, Daldali, Langmili, Langsoli-et, Borlangpher and Dillai have been ordered to shift to other places. Once digging or extraction of crude oil starts in the area, indigenous tribes will face the impact of land alienation, economic and social disorder. All these are the systematic subjugation or intellectual suppression on the indigenous people who are advanced and dominant. �The United Nation Declaration on Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP) clearly states the rights and provisions to protect the indigenous tribe/peoples across the globe. We therefore call upon all tribes and communities to come forward to register their voice for protection and preservation of the natural resources and indigenous people�s land,� he added.