NDFB(P) condemns Uri attack, hails encroachment eviction

The National Democratic Front of Boroland (Progressive) expresses serious concern over recent Uri attack of Jammu and Kashmir where 18 soldiers of Indian army were killed. The militant outfit organization hailed the courageous action of the Government of Assam in evicting the encroachers of Kaziranga National Park and Mayang of Marigaon district.

S Sanjarang, information and publicity secretary of NDFB (P) in a press statement said the NDFB (P), an armed organization which has been on peace process with the Government of India after signing a truce on May 25(2205), and having dialogue in demand of creating Boroland state, clarified their stand on the regional and national issues, expresses their serious concern.

‘We vociferously condemn Mr. Nawaz Sharif, the Pakistani Prime Minister for his desperate attempt to malign India in the UN General Assembly with his blatant lies. We also condemn the Pakistan sponsored hawks for perpetrating the dastardly incident in Uri sector of Jammu and Kashmir where 18 soldiers of Indian army were killed. We condole for them and share the grief and sorrows with the bereaved near and dear ones of the soldiers who sacrificed themselves for the cause of the Nation’,he said.

‘We appeal the Government of India to adopt all kinds of diplomatic strategies to isolate Pakistan in the international forums. In matters pertaining to national security India should never be soft with any counterpart including Pakistan. Our people will always stand with the Government of India in any situation where the national security is at stake’,Sanjarang said.

The NDFB(P) militant outfit welcome the courageous action of the Government of Assam in evicting the encroachers of Kaziranga National Park and Mayang of Marigaon district. The encroachers of the National Parks - be it in Kaziranga, Manas, Orang, Nameri or any other in Assam (if any) should never be indulged and tolerated. Encroachment of large areas are seen to be taking place in the Manas National Park and the Orang National Sanctuary and we appeal the Government of Assam to clear those encroachments for the safety and security of flora and fauna of those sanctuaries. Most of the poachers take shelter in the encroachers’ and to make full-stop to illegal poaching of rhinos or any other flora and fauna of the national sanctuaries, eviction of the encroachments is a must, NDFB(P) leader said.

‘We applaud the Government of Assam that it is working with much enthusiasm for protection and preservation of forests in Assam and we as the sons of the soil of Assam want such sincerity on the part of government to continue till the objective is fully achieved. There are huge areas of land of Satras and the Waqf Boards under encroachment and the previous governments of Assam never dared to deal these problems for their ulterior motives. These encroachments should be cleared with carrot and stick. We would like to remind the government to keep in mind that the Tribal and the Traditional Forest Dwellers’ Right Act 2006 is not violated while evicting the encroachment in the reserved forest areas.

With an objective for protection, preservation and safeguard of the identity and culture of the tribal people a clause known as Chapter X was added to Assam Land and Revenue Regulation Act 1886 by amending it in 1947 by the Government of Assam. Accordingly 33 Tribal Belts and Blocks were created which was later increased to 45. The Belts and Blocks totally covered an area of 1,88,28,320 bighas,1 kotha and 10 losas of land. As per the law tribal people have the absolute authority over the land of Tribal Belts and Blocks. Only those non-tribal people are authorized to have land with Tribal Belts and Blocks who had been living there before creation of the Tribal Belts and Blocks. The Assam government had a conviction that the land of the Belts and Blocks area would alone be the protected land of Assam in future as it would stand as the impervious wall for the illegal migrants as well as the unauthorized people. The Government of Assam of course from time to time dereserved large portions of land of the Tribal Belts and Blocks in the name of setting up of government offices, army cantonments, industrial estates and urbanization etc. During last seven decades many tribal people were evacuated without compensation while the land of Belts and Blocks were dereserved for other purposes. Now we have only little more than 80 lakh bigha of land in the entire Tribal Belts and Blocks and the most tragic fact is that 60% of lands of those Belts and Blocks have been encroached and occupied at the behest of the politicians and the bureaucrats by the unauthorized people of whose major junks are doubtful citizens. The peace loving tribal people have been pushed to total marginalization in their own land. Demands have been pledged before the government for several times by different tribal organizations for eviction but the successive governments of Assam did nothing in response on the contrary many of political leaders as well as the bureaucrats are seen to be encouraging for further encroachment. Since the present Government of Assam has started eviction of the encroachment we therefore appeal the government to clear the encroachment of the Tribal Belts and Blocks just to save and protect the land of Assam from the unauthorized people and the illegal migrants.

In its very Preamble, the constitution of India has categorically affirmed and declared that India is a secular state and all the citizens of India irrespective of caste, creed and religion have equal right and equal status. The Government of India in its allegiance to the constitution patrons all the religions and beliefs with equal respect and equal status. But the Citizenship (amendment) Bill 2016 has been recently put up in the parliament by the Government of India to grant citizenship to the Hindu migrants from Bangladesh is a gross violation to the constitution. The Bill is not only heinous but will have worst effect on the bonafide citizens of Assam and Tripura particularly on the down-trodden and marginalized indigenous tribal peoples. Foreigners irrespective of religious beliefs should be treated as foreigners and no foreigner should be either discriminated or favored on the basis of religious belief. The idea of granting citizenship to the Hindu foreigners is against India’s very principle of secularism. Millions of illegal migrants infiltrated from the neighbouring countries have already settled down in Assam and this Bill conceived on biased mentality of the government will further aggravate the situation.

The BJP came to power in Dispur for their promise and assurance to protect jati (Indigenous Peoples), mati (land of Assam from encroachment) and bheti (base or foundation of Indigenous Peoples’ identity) of Assam. We hope their assurances are still fresh in their mind and we further hope that the present government of Assam will keep their words. The Citizenship (amendment) Bill 2016 of the Union Government is against the safety and security of jati (Indigenous Peoples), mati (land of Assam) and bheti (base or foundation of Indigenous Peoples’ identity) of Assam and is directly contradicting the promises and assurance of the Assam BJP leaders. It is a direct threat to the very existence of the indigenous peoples of Assam. So it is responsibility of the Government of Assam to mount a massive pressure on the Union government to revoke and scrap the Citizenship (amendment) Bill 2016 by which the Union Government is attempting to grant citizenship to the Hindu illegal migrants from Bangladesh. The Bill is very dangerous on the way to our survival. We cannot allow our land to be a dumping ground of foreigners and illegal migrants. We oppose this destructive decision of the government and any attempt to implement the Citizenship (amendment) Bill 2016 will be resisted and opposed at all possible levels. The Government of India should repeal this anti-people decision. We would like to appeal all the bonafide peoples of Assam to protest and resist against this devilish Bill of the Government of India thereby to protect and ensure the identity and existence of the indigenous peoples of Assam,the statement said.