Committee to monitor tribal land rights formed

A special committee comprising members from different tribal organizations was formed on Sunday in a meeting convened by the All Bodo Students Union (ABSU) at Bodofa House, Baganshali in Kokrajhar with resolution to comprehensively review in details and work on issues & problems pertaining to tribal land rights in Assam in current scenario which does not show a very positive picture.

 Number of tribal bodies has been consistently demanding to subsequent State governments in power for proper implementation of chapter X of Assam Land and Revenue Regulation, 1886 and eviction of illegal settlers from tribal belts & blocks created for safeguarding tribal land and other protected class of people in Assam.

Pramod Boro, president of ABSU chaired the meeting, Dhiren Boro, chairman of NDFB (P),Govinda Basumatary , general secretary of NDFB (P), Rakesh Boro, chief convenor of PJACBM, leader from All Assam Tribal Sangha, Bodoland Janajati Suraksha Manch and many other organizations, experts from legal & intellectuals from diverse fields of about 40 members were attended the meeting.

  A resolution was taken in the meeting to specifically submit details of encroached lands by illegal settlers in tribal belts & blocks to State government by the new committee formed and demand for taking legal & corrective measures immediately to restore the encroached lands & to resolve this long pending issue of the indigenous people of the state.

‘This action though should have been taken by the administration as and when breach of law was committed knowingly or unknowingly going against the law was enacted in chapter X but their apathy in the subject has compelled tribal organizations to take up the issue in the field today’, Kwrwmdao Wary, assistant general secretary of ABSU said in a statement.

The meeting emphasizing implementation of Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Right) Act, 2006 was also conducted taking legal aid from experts. The Committee unanimously took up the resolution that it would demand issuance of land deeds to tribal forest dwellers as given in the Act at the earliest. Strong demand to the state government to resolve problems of landlessness of tribal’s was also taken up.

 It also resolved to demand the state for creation of new tribal belts & blocks and tribal sub-plan areas where tribal population has shown remarkable increase in counter to the government action of de-notification of huge areas of tribal belts & blocks for establishment of numerous public & private projects, urbanization, settlement of refugees etc.

Participated members ing in the meeting rued at the decision of BTC government in ruling dispensation of their giving away prime lands to private organizations like Patanjali Pvt. Limited fearing exploitation and manipulation of numerous traditional practices of tribal communities over a period of time.

  The committee, therefore also decided to raise the issues of giving away lands to organizations like ULFA and other organizations for commercial purpose from BTC, which is a sixth schedule area and has been specially constituted by Constitution of India to protect tribal land and tribal people.

It was strongly felt by all members in the meeting that new tribal land law should be incorporated with Chapter X and made more stringent to safeguard the tribal people who are the most aboriginal and indigenous people inhabiting in the state and came to the resolution to call the state government to consult over the issue.

The new committee also took up a resolution to meet the Committee for Ensuring Land Rights of Tribal of Assam led by HS Brahma for further consultation to resolve numerous land issues & problems of tribal communities in Assam, the statement said.