Case filed for arson attack on Khasis

Ethnic Khasi people filed a case with Barlekha Police Station in the district against 10 named people yesterday for torching three houses and cutting down 400 betel leaf plants early Sunday, allegedly to grab Khasi land in Nalikhai punjee.

 “I was sleeping when my husband called me after seeing the fire. We ran out of the house without taking anything. The utensils in the house were destroyed. We are poor people and betel leaf is our only source of earning, but the plants have been cut down,” said Pravita Dio, a resident whose house was burnt.

“I filed a case with the police station in this regard against 10 named people, including Shakil Ahmed, assistant manager of Chutolekha tea garden. Shakil ordered the burning of our houses and cutting of betel plants,” she added.

“Seeing our houses on fire, Eju Chisham, 50, and I ran away from the houses with our families. Then we took shelter in the punjee headman's house. It was not possible to douse the fire on the high hills because of lack of water. As a result, the rooms kept burning in front of our eyes. The tin-shed houses were completely burnt down,” said Achin Patro, 25.

Headman of Nalikhai punjee Tolby Lamin said there was massive damage to all the items in the three houses and around 400 trees were cut down. 

“We are deeply distressed following an attack by a gang of criminals who targeted the punjee's betel leaf plantations. Indigenous people believe the attack was instigated by Chutolekha tea garden authorities following an earlier altercation between residents over grabbing our land. This was a planned attacked to grab our land,” he added.

Central member of Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon (Bapa) Father Joseph Gomes OMI said it is the responsibility of the state to ensure security of the Khasi community. The state should take urgent action against the perpetrators.

He said environmentalists, civil society and punjee people demand immediate arrest and exemplary punishment of the people involved in such a heinous act. 

Mohammad Mukaram Hossain, manager of Chutolekha tea garden, refuted the allegations. “Khasi people grabbed our land,” he said.

“I visited the punjee after hearing the news. Three houses were burnt and 400 betel leaf plants were cut. The victims filed a case against 10 people,” said Barlekha Police Station Officer-in-Charge (investigation) Mohammad Jasim Uddin.

Sanjeeb Drong, general secretary of Bangladesh Indigenous Peoples Forum, told this correspondent that Khasi people have not been getting justice in the matter for a long time, adding that the land belongs to them as per ILO Convention-107.

Land rights of plain land indigenous people cannot be protected under the current land laws of the country, so the government should form a separate land commission immediately, he said.