Assam opposition leader Debabrata Saikia moves High Court against the “forced eviction” that has been conducted since 2016 by the government under the BJP regime. The Congress leader files PIL in Gauhati High Court.
Mr. Saikia went to the court claiming for intervention in conducting “mandatory social impact assessment” and make sure that the principles of Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 is followed in letter and spirit, amid other demands.
Congress leader in his PIL said, “Since 2016 in Assam, continuous attempts have been made to deprive the local people from land rights on various grounds. It has also been seen that no proper eviction guidelines are followed while conducting eviction.” Mr. Saikia also informed that very first eviction was carried out by the present ruling BJP at Kaziranga National Park where “many settlers including schools founded by the govenment in 1960s were also evicted and at that time it was claimed that it was all occupied by illegal immigrants and it was a ploy to occupy upper Assam from Kaziranga”.
Although, during the Assembly session, the citizenship of those people were proven, and accordingly the government had to pay compensation for the land and for all other damages that occurred during the eviction, said Saikia. He also claimed that in 2016, many minority people, who were living in char sand bar areas of Darrang district were even evicted without any prior notice.
Saikia further added, “At that time we, the Congress party, made a huge demonstration and demanded that all Indian citizens, who were evicted for occupying government land be compensated, rehabilitated and the identity of each evicted person should be verified as all the evicted persons were termed as illegal foreigners,”
Saikia urged the court to conduct an independent and fair investigation under the security of the High Court. He wants that the compensation must be paid to the families of the deceased persons for violation of their fundamental rights that comes under Article 14, 19, and 21 of the Indian Constitution. He requested the High Court to consider applications on behalf the evicted persons for allotment and settlement of the said lands in terms specified by the Assam Land and Revenue Regulation, 1886 and other Rules.
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