Guwahati: A group of civil society members and activists have opposed the Assam government‘s alleged move to evict indigenous and tribal residents from their ancestral lands and demanded the unconditional release of activists arrested during protests against the decision.
In a statement, the group alleged that several communities who have been living and farming on the land since before Independence are facing eviction threats, while the land is being proposed for private sector projects.
The signatories questioned the arrest of activists, including Pranab Doley and Aditya Rabha, for supporting the affected residents and leading protests.
“What is the crime of Pranab Doley, Aditya Rabha, and their fellow activists? How can standing with these unfortunate people and providing leadership to their movement be considered a crime? Do the common citizens of this country not even have the right to carry out peaceful, democratic protests while seeking justice?” the statement said.
The group alleged that the affected residents were expected to receive land pattas (ownership documents) under the Vasundhara scheme due to their long-term occupation of the land. “Instead of pattas, they are now being threatened with eviction,” the statement said.
The statement further alleged that the government’s intention was to evict indigenous and tribal communities from their ancestral lands and hand the land over to private entities. “We strongly protest this decision of the government and demand that the arrested persons be released unconditionally,” it said.
The statement was signed by several civil society members, including Ajit Kumar Bhuyan, Abdul Mannan, Apurba Sharma, Sitanath Lahkar, Apurba Kumar Baruah and others.