Displacement of indigenous families
Over 80 indigenous people of some 21 families are still homeless more than nine months after they were evicted from their ancestral lands for the establishment of BGB 51 Battalion headquarters in Babuchhara of Dighinala.
On June 10, despite protests from the indigenous community, they were driven from their homestead and were forced to take shelter in two crammed classrooms. They are now living in a decrepit agriculture office. It is concerning that the government remains oblivious of the protracted plight and repeated pleas of the aggrieved community, who are yet to receive an adequate rehabilitation package.
It is even more reprehensible that the government, instead of assuaging the victims, seems to be clamping down on dissenting voices. Eleven days ago, at least six indigenous people were injured when a peaceful procession brought out by indigenous groups in protest of the establishment of BGB battalion offices was reportedly barricaded by security forces, and at least six indigenous people were injured when a clash erupted. Even though witnesses said it was the law enforcers who initiated the confrontation, fourteen indigenous people were arrested and a case filed in this regard.
We must not forget that the right to assemble and protest are constitutional rights that the government is obligated to uphold. We urge the government to withdraw the case against indigenous leaders and take immediate steps to provide a sustainable solution to the lingering predicament of the indigenous community. It must address the underlying grievance of the adivasis that the land was acquired without consultation or consent of the Hill District Council, in violation of the Peace Accord.
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