GUWAHATI, Oct 7: Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) has welcomed the positive response of the Gauhati High Court to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Assam CLP leader Debabrata Saikia and taking up suo motu the matter of deaths of two persons in police firing during an eviction drive by the Assam government at Dholpur in Darrang district.
“APCC stands vindicated that Gauhati High Court has said – ‘it was an unfortunate incident – a tragedy’ and that ‘blood had been spilled on the ground,” a statement said on Thursday.
APCC had condemned the incident in strongest terms and APCC president Bhupen Kumar Borah had led a protest march in Mangaldoi and a delegation of Congress leaders had also submitted a memorandum to the Assam Governor.
“Congress leaders had also visited the families of the victims. The incident of firing a lone protester by more than 40 armed policemen and the subsequent violent action of a government affiliated cameraman on the dead protester had shocked people all over the world,” APCC said in the statement.
The PIL by the ACLP leader also took up the matter of eviction of various ST/SC/tea tribes people in Dibrugarh and Tinsukia without proper rehabilitation after the area where they had settled was declared a wildlife reserve by the state government.
“The PIL also states that the government had also deprived the ST/SC/OBC people of Mikir Bamuni Gaon of Nagaon of land rights in order to give land to private power plants. The Ryot Act was not taken into consideration here”, it stated.
“APCC welcomes the remark of the High Court bench that said – ‘This is a big tragedy, very unfortunate. Those who are guilty, if at all, must be punished, no doubt about that. Not just in this but in one or two other incidents as well,” it stated.
Further, the Assam PCC appreciated the fact that the court bench had sought a detailed affidavit from the state government and that it also questioned whether the National Rehabilitation Policy was applicable in Assam or not.
“Assam PCC contends that such incidents should never be a part of civilised society,” it stated.