Guwahati: Former Leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia on Tuesday wrote to Assam Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya, seeking urgent intervention in the ongoing eviction drives and the arrest of social activists protesting large-scale commercial projects in the state.
In his letter, Saikia raised concerns over the protection of land rights of indigenous, tribal and Adivasi communities, particularly in connection with the proposed luxury hotel project near Kaziranga National Park and the Barduar Satellite Township project.
Saikia expressed concern over the arrest of activists who had participated in protests against the two projects. He referred to the arrest of Aditya Rabha, who opposed the Barduar satellite township, and Pranab Doley and Amit Nag, who were involved in protests against the Kaziranga luxury hotel project.
According to Saikia, the issue involved important constitutional and environmental questions. He stated that around 45 indigenous and Adivasi families from Rangajan village and the Ingle Pathar area near National Park’s Kohora range had already been evicted or were facing eviction for the hotel project, affecting their agricultural livelihoods.
He argued that the evictions could be in violation of the Assam (Temporarily Settled Areas) Tenancy Act, 1971, which was enacted to protect tenant farmers from arbitrary eviction and to provide occupancy rights.
Saikia also pointed out that the proposed hotel was located within the eco-sensitive “Greater Kaziranga” area and said development should not proceed by displacing tribal and indigenous communities without constitutional safeguards and proper rehabilitation.
He said several local organisations had objected to the project, citing fears of losing traditional lands.
In his appeal, Saikia requested the Governor to seek a comprehensive report from the government on both the Barduar satellite township and the Kaziranga luxury hotel projects. He also urged an examination of whether the provisions of the Assam (Temporarily Settled Areas) Tenancy Act, 1971 had been followed during the eviction process.
Saikia further asked the Governor to verify the claims regarding the 45 affected families to ensure that no eligible family was denied legal protection.
He urged that eviction proceedings related to the two projects be suspended until an independent review of all legal, environmental and humanitarian aspects was completed. If evictions were found to be legally unavoidable, he sought fair rehabilitation, adequate compensation and livelihood security for the affected families.
The former opposition leader also called for extensive consultations with affected tribal communities, civil society groups and independent experts before any final decision was taken.
Saikia requested that the administration refrain from filing criminal cases against participants in peaceful democratic protests and asked the Governor to review the cases against Aditya Rabha, Pranab Doley, Amit Nag and other activists and consider appropriate legal relief.
He also sought the constitution of an impartial inquiry committee to investigate allegations of violations of land rights, denial of tenancy rights and non-compliance with environmental laws.
Saikia concluded by stating that Assam had traditionally sought to balance development with social justice and that development should proceed in a transparent and fair manner without uprooting indigenous communities.