Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Guwahati: Student leaders slammed the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority on Tuesday for trying to grab tribal land. The All Rabha Students Union and the All Bodo Students Union staged a joint press conference at the Tribal Rest House on Solapara Road. They want the government to kill the acquisition notices immediately.
Trouble started after a May 24, 2026 meeting between Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and the GMDA chief. A June 3 communication followed, ordering land acquisition in the Azara and Palashbari Revenue Circles. The state aims to seize 203 bighas in Jawe, 676 bighas in Deorali, and 280 bighas in Janghliapara.
ARSU General Secretary Ashok Nongbag blasted the plan. He stated, "The state government was attempting to undermine the Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council by bringing RHAC land under the city expansion project." He argues this move breaks the Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council Amendment Act of 2005.
The GMDA wants to fold Jawe, Patgaon, Sajjanpara, Rajapanichanda, Andherijuli, Rangapara, Kachari Alibari, and Batabari into its New Town III project. These villages sit inside protected Tribal Belts and Blocks. ARSU President Ananda Rabha noted the union has fought these city expansion attempts since 2009. The groups worry Raiti farmers will lose their ancestral land and their livelihoods.
Student leaders also cited the Guwahati Satellite City Development Authority Bill of 2026. This legislation supposedly forces the state to respect existing tribal laws and autonomous council protections. They demand the government stop fragmenting these regions and grant permanent land rights to local farmers instead. The groups remain firm: they will block any effort to drag these 779 revenue villages into the city master plan.
Comments