The umbrella organization of the indigenous people of Assam has called for a 12 hour band, till 5 p.m., on Wednesday protesting against the ongoing eviction of indigenous people in many parts of Assam.
Coordination Committee of Tribal Organisations [CCTOA] called the evictions “illegal.” CCTOA has threatened “coordinated movement” across the State against the eviction. Wednesday’s bandh has not witnessed any violence till mid day.
Meanwhile the Gauhati High Court has asked the Government of Assam to suspend the eviction and file an affidavit in court clarifying the position of the government regarding eviction. Interestingly, while in 2013 Gauhati High Court ordered the eviction, the court itself stopped the eviction on Wednesday following large scale protests.
However, under severe criticism and political pressure from Mishing community organisations, Additional Advocate General of Assam [AAG], Devajit Saikia approached the Division Bench of the Gauhati High Court headed by the Chief Justice this morning making oral submissions and seeking directions. Mr Saikia arugued that the matter should be treated with a humanitarian approach.
The Chief Justice then ordered an immediate stay to further demolition of residential houses and directed the AAG to file affidavit in this regard.
The Mishing community has decided to bar leaders of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party [BJP] in Assam from entering Mishing villages. The Mishings are an indigenous Assamese community inhabiting about a dozen districts of Assam.
They have their origins among indigenous groups in both Arunachal Pradesh and Tibet in China. However limited eviction is going on in non-Mishing areas, in industrial establishments in forest areas in Jorabat in Guwahati, locals said.
Meanwhile, the Government has served fresh notices of eviction in Lakhimpur in Upper Assam. The locals said that notices are served to people who are living in the area since 1940s.
According to Kamrup district administration, so far, 734 permanent, semi permanent and temporary structures are demolished in Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary. The activists alleged that more than a dozen persons are injured in police action in Amchang sanctuary.
Police denied the allegation. Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has directed the administration to rehabilitate those who lost their land and home in floods and compelled to settle in Amchung Sanctuary.
