Gogoi defends Zubeen

The proposed acquisition of 18,000 bighas of land in Karbi Anglong district’s Khatkhati-Longkathar area for a 1,000-megawatt solar power project has sparked widespread fear and protests among the local tribal communities. The central and state governments are pushing forward with the project, which threatens to displace thousands of indigenous people, including Karbi, Naga, and Adivasi communities, who have been living and cultivating the land for generations. The land in question has been home to these communities for over 200 years, where they have been growing bamboo, banana trees, rabi crops, and broom grass to sustain their livelihoods. The government’s move to acquire this land for...