Guwahati: Two persons, Fakhrul Islam and Anjuma Khatun, were killed and several others including policemen injured when clashed broke out on Monday morning as villagers tried to stonewall administration’s drive to evict encroachers from peripheral villages of Kaziranga National Park’s core area as per directive of Gauhat in High Court.
The eviction drive was carried out at Deuchurchang, Palkhowa and Bandardubi villages this morning by a large team of Nagaon district administration led by a magistrate and protected by a huge contingent of police and paramilitary forces as per the order of Gauhati High Court.
Two organisations, Krishak Mukti Sangram Samity (KMSS) and All Assam Muslim Students’ Union (AAMSU) strongly opposed the eviction drive without paying compensation to villagers who have been living in these areas for decades.
“The villagers were given prior notice of eviction by the administration while permanent settlers who had land holding in those villages were promised adequate compensation by Assam government. The villagers had agreed to leave when they were persuaded by two senior ministers, Himanta Bishwa Sarma and Keshab Mahanta two days back. There are some forces who instigated the villagers overnight to resist the eviction drive, we are going to take strong action against those forces on the basis of intelligence inputs,” Assam industries and commerce minister, Chandra Mohan Patowary said.
He said the state government would pay Rs 5 lakh each as compensation against the two persons who were killed, and Rs 50,000 each to seriously injured persons. Also an inquiry by a one-man probe panel headed by additional chief secretary Rajib Bora has been constituted to probe into the circumstances that led to police firing.
“While eviction drive remained peaceful and sans resistance at Palkhowa and Deuchurchang villages, it turned violent at Bandardubi where the villagers attacked the policemen by pelting stones. Some forces were instigating people there. Police used minimum forces and showed restraint. The police were forced to open fire with rubber bullets, burst tear gas shells and resort to lathi-charge to control the mob. Only non-lethal weapons were used though there was report of death of two persons,” state DGP Mukesh Sahay informed. He said the eviction would continue to clear area for Kaziranga Park’s expansion as per the directive of Gauhati High Court.
Chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal called an emergency meeting to review situation in and around Kaziranga National Park, following the police action against mob of villagers. The meeting was attended by several ministers including the forest minister, industries and transport minister, state DGP and other senior officials including commissioners of Revenue and forest departments.
In response to a PIL filed by one Mrinal Saikia, now a BJP MLA, the Gauhati High Court last year issued order to clear proposed additions to Kaziranga National Park of encroachers so that the wildlife park could be expanded as per the plan envisaged and approved by the state forest department.
Meanwhile, AAMSU activists hit the street in many parts of the state denouncing the police action against protesting villagers near Kaziranga Park and effigies of chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal were burnt for evicting villagers from near the Park without providing them compensation and alternative settlement.
