(IN) Kaziranga National Park expansion plans challenged by tribal body in Assam

[Guest guest]

Mising body raps Govt over move to evict locals (The Assam Tribune,

September 11, 2009)

 

STAFF Reporter

GUWAHATI, Sept 10 – The Takam Mising Porin Kebang (TMPK) today warned of

dire consequences if the State Government insists on evicting the indigenous

Mising people living on the bank of the Brahmaputra in Sonitpur district in

the name of sixth expansion of the Kaziranga National Park (KNP). The

students’ body said in a statement signed by its president Johan Doley,

general secretary Indra Kumar Chungkrang and publicity secretary Rahul

Loying, alleged that the State Government has been hatching a plot to settle

the suspected Bangladesh nationals in parts of the national park between

Jakhalabandha and Bagori, along the National Highway. And to facilitate this

illegal settlement, the Government has now served eviction notices on the

indigenous people of 18 villages under Bakoridoloni Gaon Panchayat,

Bartamuly Gaon Panchayat and Rawnamukh Gaon Panchayat in Sonitpur district,

it said.

 

The Government is turning a blind eye to the rapid encroachment in the Orang

National Park and the Pabitara Wildlife Sanctuary. Under the very nose of

the Forest Department of the State Government, encroachers belonging to

doubtful nationality have eliminated the Laokhowa Wildlife Sanctuary.

 

But, while all these are going on unabated, the State Forest Department has

asked about 10,000 indigenous Mising people living in the above villages

since time immemorial and who have been paying land revenue since 1947, to

vacate their land measuring about 15,000 hectares for facilitating sixth

expansion of the KNP.

 

If the Government has any plan to save the KNP, it should go for operations

to evict the encroachers of doubtful origin from the National Park and also

to protect the park’s land area from the erosion of the Brahmaputra, said

the students’ body. It has demanded immediate revocation of the proposal for

forth and sixth expansion of the KNP. As, it said, these would affect the

indigenous people of the State. Or else, it warned that it would resist any

attempt at implementing the above expansion programmes.

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Dear All,

 

I fully agree with the TMPK point that illegal settlers from Bangladesh have

wrote havoc on on the outskirts of Orang Sanctuary in Assam. It is also

important that thae north bank of Brahmaputra should be first taken care of

before going ahead with sixth expansion plans. It is also to be

investigated that in earlier instances of poaching cases if Mising people

were involved or provided refuge to Naga Tribals who are infamous Rhino Horn

hunters.

 

Regards

 

Raja Chatterjee

On Wed, Sep 16, 2009 at 3:22 PM, <

journalistandanimals wrote:

 

> Mising body raps Govt over move to evict locals (The Assam Tribune,

> September 11, 2009)

>

> STAFF Reporter

> GUWAHATI, Sept 10 – The Takam Mising Porin Kebang (TMPK) today warned of

> dire consequences if the State Government insists on evicting the

> indigenous

> Mising people living on the bank of the Brahmaputra in Sonitpur district in

> the name of sixth expansion of the Kaziranga National Park (KNP). The

> students’ body said in a statement signed by its president Johan Doley,

> general secretary Indra Kumar Chungkrang and publicity secretary Rahul

> Loying, alleged that the State Government has been hatching a plot to

> settle

> the suspected Bangladesh nationals in parts of the national park between

> Jakhalabandha and Bagori, along the National Highway. And to facilitate

> this

> illegal settlement, the Government has now served eviction notices on the

> indigenous people of 18 villages under Bakoridoloni Gaon Panchayat,

> Bartamuly Gaon Panchayat and Rawnamukh Gaon Panchayat in Sonitpur district,

> it said.

>

> The Government is turning a blind eye to the rapid encroachment in the

> Orang

> National Park and the Pabitara Wildlife Sanctuary. Under the very nose of

> the Forest Department of the State Government, encroachers belonging to

> doubtful nationality have eliminated the Laokhowa Wildlife Sanctuary.

>

> But, while all these are going on unabated, the State Forest Department has

> asked about 10,000 indigenous Mising people living in the above villages

> since time immemorial and who have been paying land revenue since 1947, to

> vacate their land measuring about 15,000 hectares for facilitating sixth

> expansion of the KNP.

>

> If the Government has any plan to save the KNP, it should go for operations

> to evict the encroachers of doubtful origin from the National Park and also

> to protect the park’s land area from the erosion of the Brahmaputra, said

> the students’ body. It has demanded immediate revocation of the proposal

> for

> forth and sixth expansion of the KNP. As, it said, these would affect the

> indigenous people of the State. Or else, it warned that it would resist any

> attempt at implementing the above expansion programmes.

>

>

>