Tezpur Law College is all set to organise a two-day national seminar on ‘Need of Land Law Reforms in Assam in view of the Rights of the Indigenous People’ on February 23 and 24, 2018.
This was informed by the organizing committee’s chief co-ordinator and the principal of Tezpur Law College, Dr Bhuban Chandra Barooah during a press conference here on Sunday.
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Addressing media persons, Barooah along with Tezpur Law College’s vice-principal Dulumoni Nath and Dr Jupitara Devi informed that the national seminar is being organised for the greater interest of the people of Assam basically the land owners, who have suffered since a long time.
Barooah said in Assam, the right over land was systematised during the Ahom rule from 1228 AD to 1826 AD. After the fall of the Ahom dynasty and taking over by the British, the administration of Assam in terms of the Yandaboo Treaty signed on February 24, 1826, decided to introduce the system of earning revenue from land as formulated according to the Assam Land Revenue Regulation, 1886. This regulation is still in force in determining the various rights over land in Assam.
“After Independence, the State of Assam has enacted a number of legislations to complement the Regulation of 1886 and to deal with various dimensions of rights over land in Assam. These laws have not addressed different issues and classes of land, such as, agricultural land, forest land, water bodies etc.,” said Barooah.
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He also mentioned that along with the laws, land policies have also been adopted from time to time. There are consecutively three land policies adopted by the government commiserating with the need of the time. The latest land policy was adopted in 1989 which is still prevailing, he added.
A total of 36 papers would be submitted in the seminar and the most important themes would be the international documents/covenants dealing with the right to self-determination including the right over land with special reference to the indigenous people of Assam.
The themes would be the land right as enshrined in the Constitution of India, amendment of existing land laws and enactment of new laws to protect the right of the indigenous people and natural resources, sustainability of the existing land laws in protecting the social and cultural diversities of Assam, said Barooah.
He also mentioned that among other important themes of the seminar would be land reforms in Assam in the perspective of sustainable development with special reference to big dam and developmental programme in Assam and protection of bio-diversity and ecological balance and human rights of the indigenous people of Assam.
There will also be presentation of papers on themes related to ethnic crisis/conflicts in terms of existing land disputes in Assam and its remedial measures including unauthorized land occupation especially in urban areas, tribal belts and forest land vis-à-vis human right of the indigenous people.
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal will grace the first day programme of the seminar. Advocate General of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, Nilayananda Dutta and Prof Ramesh Ch Borpatragohain respectively including legal adviser to Assam CM, Santanu Bharali, will also be present at the seminar, added Barooah.