Gogoi blames Akhil for ‘unfortunate incident’
Guwahati: In an unprecedented incident a protestor of Krishak Mukti Sangram Samity (KMSS), died due to self-immolation in front of the high-security state secretariat complex here on Monday while taking part in an agitation to stymie a government function for distribution of land settlement document to landless by the state chief minister Tarun Gogoi.
The incident occurred a day before Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi is slated to visit the city and the State as warm up to the forthcoming general election.
The agitator Pranab Bodo (45), a carpenter by profession, from Gorchuk area of the city set himself on fire and ran in front of policemen and media persons on duty creating panic. He was immediately rushed to the burn injury unit of Guwahati Medical College Hospital.
The superintendent of the hospital Dr Ramen Talukdar informed that his condition was very critical with almost cent per cent burn injury and could not be saved despite best effort by a team of experts. All his vital organs were damaged, the doctor said.
Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said stern action would be taken after proper investigation against those found guilty of instigating the person to resort to self immolation. On the other hand KMSS leader Akhil Gogoi, a RTI activist blamed the government for the incident while calling off the agitation to prevent recurrence of similar tragedy.
The KMSS protestors tried to disrupt the government function to mark the beginning of phase-wise distribution land settlement documents to landless settlers in various city areas as per recommendation of a high-power Cabinet sub-committee headed by senior Congress minister Dr Bhumidhar Barman.
The KMSS which has been championing for landless settlers in the city opposed the land document distribution process on the ground that the government did not accept its conditions for selection of landless settlers for providing land documents. The KMSS demanded land settlement also to those landless living on hills, forest land and wetlands in and around the city which has been rejected by the state government in view of a standing Supreme Court verdict against allowing human settlement on forest land and wet land. It demands land documents to all those landless who have settled down in city areas till June 22, 2011.
Despite the protest the government went on with the official function for distribution of land documents to 500 settlers in the first phase. After gracing the function, chief minister Tarun Gogoi termed the self-immolation attempt by the KMSS protestors very unfortunate and blamed the KMSS leader Akhil Gogoi for it.
He said the KMSS agitation is not justified as the government has started land settlement process to landless as per their demands. Gogoi ruled out accepting KMSS demand for giving land settlement for those living in forest areas, hill areas and wet land.