Attacks on Santals: Dist admin yet to form probe body

Ten days into the attack, looting and torching of Santals' homes, the Gaibandha district administration was yet to set up a probe committee to investigate the incidents.

“As per government rules, an executive committee would probe the incidents. The committee might be formed next week,” said Deputy Commissioner Abdus Samad. 

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Meanwhile, two injured Santals were sent to the district jail yesterday after being released from Rangpur Medical College Hospital (RMCH). The two were accused in a case for attacking police.

In another development, a Supreme Court lawyer yesterday served a legal notice on the authorities concerned, seeking explanation in 24 hours under what authority they conducted an eviction drive in Gaibandha's Gobindaganj upazila on November 6.

The ethnic minority people in several villages there have been suffering from shortage of food as they refused offers of government relief.

Evicted from their homes, Santal families were frustrated with shortage of food and joblessness.

“There is no justice yet for police firing on innocent indigenous people, looting and arson attack. Even an investigation committee is yet to be formed to identify those responsible for the crimes,” said Santal leader Rafayel Hembrom.

Many Santals remained tight-lipped about their sufferings.

“How many times should we repeat this? We repeatedly spoke of our sufferings, but no to affect,” said Marry Soren of Madarpur.

On Monday, the victims turned down the relief aid offered by the upazila administration, demanding the government arrange their settlement on their land near Rangpur Sugar Mills, remove the barbed wire boundary of the land, stop cultivation of cane in Shahebganj cane farm and ensure justice for the killing of indigenous men.

Paulus Master and Elikha Mardi of Madarpur village said “the mills authorities” evicted them from their paternal properties and erected barbed wire boundary. “Our main demand is to ensure our settlement on our forefathers' land.”

The victims said three of their fellow Santal men were killed in police firing on November 6 and eight still missing. However, police were yet to record any case in connection with the killing, looting and arson attack.

“Injured Majhi Soren had been undergoing treatment at Gobindaganj Health Complex. But he went missing today [Tuesday]. We don't know his whereabouts,” said Soban Soren of Madarpur village.

TWO LAND IN JAIL

Two injured Santals, Choron Soren and Bimal Kisku, were sent to jail yesterday, a day after police took off their handcuffs in line with a High Court order. The two in handcuffs were undergoing treatment at the RMCH.

They were sent to jail as they recovered from injuries, said Ashraful Islam, superintendent of Gaibandha police.

Eight injured policemen were undergoing treatment at the hospital, he added.

LAWYER SERVES NOTICE

Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua in his legal notice requested the respondents to inform him in writing about the steps taken by them against those involved in looting valuables, setting fire to Santal houses and killing people.

He served the notice on behalf of Olivia Hembrom and Rumila Kisku of Jaypur village saying that legal action would be taken against the respondents, if they failed to give information in 24 hours.

The home and industries secretaries, inspector general of police, DC of Gaibandha, deputy inspector general (Rangpur) of police, Gaibandha SP, UNO of Gobindaganj, OC of Gobindaganj Police Station and manager of Mohimaganj Sugar Mills have been made respondents to the notice.

During the Pakistan regime in 1956, the government had acquired 1,842 acres of land in Shahebganj to set up a sugarcane farm.

The DC office acquired the land for the then Pakistan Industrial Development Corporation, which established Rangpur (Mahimaganj) Sugar Mills between 1954 and 1957.

Later in 1962, the DC office, on behalf of the land owners, had signed an agreement with the corporation. The deal stated that the land was acquired for cultivation of sugarcane by the mill authorities. If the land was used for farming any other crop, the corporation would surrender the land to the government.

However, the agreement was violated by the mill authorities who leased out most of the land in 2004 for cultivation of crops like rice, wheat, mustard, tobacco and maize.

Philimon Baske, president of Sugar Mill Land Recovery Committee, said indigenous people started setting up houses on the land around six months ago after they had learnt that the mill authorities were producing other crops illegally.