Photo Courtesy: nenow
Guwahati: The Nikhil Rabha Jatiya Parishad is digging in against the Assam government. The apex group slammed plans for a new Aerocity, satellite township, and the Ukiam River dam. They claim the projects threaten the survival of indigenous people in the Azara and Palasbari areas. Officials already started land surveys and sent out notices without asking the Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council for permission.
NRJP leaders Babul Chandra Rabha and Gobinda Rabha called the land grab an attack on their culture. The group pointed to over 6,900 bighas of land currently marked for acquisition across several villages. They argue this move ignores constitutional rights protecting tribal belts. People here already lost fields to railway tracks and highway work. Now, thousands of families face the loss of their primary livelihoods in fishing and farming.
The group demands the government kill these projects immediately. They also want to see public reports on environmental and social impacts before anything moves forward. Babul Chandra Rabha stated, "The projects involve the acquisition of extensive agricultural land, forest areas and ancestral settlements within the Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council area."
Trouble is brewing. The organization claims 500 families already faced eviction without proper pay or help. If the state ignores their demands, the group promised a mass agitation. They plan to team up with the Sangrami Krishak-Shramik Sangha and the Anti-Eviction Land Rights Struggle Committee to shut down the developments.
Comments