From Biplab Kr Dey
WADAGOKGRE (WGH), Dec 12: Seeped in history, the village of Wadagokgre lies about 11 km from Phulbari town in West Garo Hills (WGH) and around 70 km from Tura, the district headquarters.
A little background to the story of Wadagokgre shows why the place is significant—at least in the eyes of history enthusiasts. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) had undertaken an excavation in the area and found that it was once one of the biggest cities and a major religious centre that emerged from the river Brahmaputra in the fourth-century AD.
Presently, remnants of a Shiva temple, a Goddess Kali temple, fortification bricks and a pond meant for the personal use of the then king remain. Locals stated that many more such artefacts and pieces of history could be unearthed if the government allowed further excavation of the site.
While the Wadagokgre A’king stretches far beyond the 15 sq km, the protected area comprises the villages of Rajpur (Muslim), Nayagaon, Balujhora, Gandhipara, Nekikona (Rajpur Garo), Belbari and Lower Wadagokgre.
Initially, the area consisted of just over 85-90 households (60-65 Garo and 20-25 Koch households). However, within just a little more than a decade, the entire demography of the area has changed beyond recognition.
Residents from outside the state, and possibly outside the country, have settled in the protected site and continued to increase in number, with roads and concrete houses being constructed by those who have forcibly settled there. The situation is so dire that even sites personally developed by the ASI are on the verge of being overrun.
A tour was undertaken with members of the Garo Students’ Union (GSU) and A’chik Students’ Welfare Association (ASWA) to understand firsthand the situation facing residents.
How did this happen?
In the early 2000s, a few residents from the plain belt settled in the village on a temporary basis due to the annual flooding of the Brahmaputra river. These temporary settlers would generally return after the waters receded, while only a few remained. This began to change around 2013, when those who took shelter refused to return and forcibly took over land from the A’king.
They were aided and abetted by the former Nokma (now deceased) and a few accomplices who wanted to make quick money. This scheme soon came back to haunt the A’king as illegal settlers outnumbered the original inhabitants.
“There are still just about 90 tribal households in the ASI-protected site. However, the illegal settlers currently have over 440 households. They have taken over lands to construct houses as well as farmlands to sustain themselves,” said one of the four ASI caretakers.
More exasperating is the involvement of a resident who was a former ranger of the Phulbari GHADC range, identified as one of the culprits in inviting influx and selling land that he claimed to have bought to residents who said they were from Assam, but who could have been from anywhere.
“This is not an isolated case at all. Many of those who forcibly settled in these lands later began to sell them to others. It is really intriguing that while they themselves are illegal settlers, they still had the guts to sell to others—all of which was illegal,” added another caretaker.
The former Nokma was reportedly at the forefront of the destruction that took place in the A’king. Following complaints about influx and the destruction of hillocks for construction materials, the GHADC issued him a notice to stop such activities. However, once the pressure eased, he resumed razing hillocks until multiple complaints finally halted his actions. By then, the damage had already been done.
What went wrong at Wadagokgre?
The ASI’s first excavation in 1991-92 led to the discovery of an urban township dating back to the 14th-century AD, presumably the first of its kind in the Northeast. The 15 sq km area was identified and marked for further excavation, and the discoveries—such as a Shiva temple, a Kali temple and a Buddhist stupa—indicated that more lay hidden underground.
However, for reasons known only to the ASI and subsequent governments, no further progress was made. The ASI still recruited four caretakers to look after the site.
One caretaker expressed frustration during the visit.
“The ASI wants to take up excavation of the site but the government has not taken the initiative to allow it or even handed over the land to the ASI to follow up and make more discoveries. What we know is that if excavation is undertaken, the site will become a huge attraction for historical tourism in the state. Even in its present condition, many tourists—locals and outsiders—still come to visit the existing sites,” he said.
He stressed the urgent need to reclaim encroached land and develop the site properly.
Appeals for action—but does anyone care?
Various civil society organisations (CSOs) and social activists have been vocal about the illegal influx from other parts of India (mainly Assam) and possibly from outside the country. However, it was only in 2016 that the then district administration acknowledged demographic changes and initiated an inspection.
During the inspection, at least 300 illegal settlements were identified. The GHADC, custodian of land in Garo Hills, accompanied the inspection into restricted Mouza 3 of the Sixth Schedule. Despite the findings and public outcry, no action has been taken to rectify the situation.
The GHADC has been a silent spectator, despite repeated media reports and complaints. In many ways, if the Nokma was the initiator of the encroachment, the GHADC has undoubtedly been the abettor.
“Not one illegal household has been dismantled. It seems the attitude of the Council is ‘it is gone, so let’s move on’. This is a painful reality the people of Wadagokgre have faced for decades. When those meant to safeguard the land take a back seat, can those whose lives are threatened on the ground find the courage to stand up to what is taking place?” asked GSU president Nyzer Chuang Marak.
What lies ahead?
For the ASI site and the original residents, the future looks bleak unless decisive action is taken.
“To get these illegal encroachers out of our lands, something huge needs to happen—like what is taking place in Assam, where lands are being reclaimed. This has to be initiated by the government or the High Court as, for normal residents, this task is beyond our control. Even when we did a survey in 2020, we needed complete security to carry it out. Now the numbers have grown even larger,” said the caretaker.
A member of the Phulbari GSU unit appealed to the state government and the GHADC to act before matters escalate further.
“We have highlighted this several times but no one has responded. The GHADC really needs to look into the mirror and question itself. As custodian of our lands, it has done very little to live up to its name. The state and GHADC need to wake up and take stock or this will soon reach areas none of us have even imagined,” said Walman Marak, ASWA member from Phulbari.
