HT Digital
GUWAHATI, JUNE 17: Following the continuing eviction drive in Goalpara’s Hasilabil and Raikhakhani localities, the Assam Congress has handed over a memorandum to the District Commissioner calling for immediate rehabilitation activities for affected families. The party severely criticized the eviction as unfair and inhumane and cautioned against severe humanitarian and communal consequences.
The memorandum was submitted after a site visit by a Congress delegation headed by Salman Khan, President of APCC Minority Department, and Rakesh Chakravarty, APCC spokesperson and Vice President of Assam Pradesh Youth Congress. The group evaluated ground realities and spoke with affected residents to gauge the effect of the eviction firsthand.
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In its memorandum to the court, the Congress party pointed out long-standing residence of families in the area, explaining: “These areas contain many families, many of whom have been there for decades and have built their livelihoods on the land.” The party cautioned that such populations, so vulnerable, should not be evicted in the absence of alternative housing since not only would this increase social suffering but also potentially jeopardize peace and communal harmony.
The APCC called for the eviction drive in Hasilabil, Raikhakhani, and the surrounding areas to be stopped immediately. It also requested the administration to not issue any more eviction notices until a full review is done. To address humanitarian and legal issues, the party called for the setting up of a high-level probe committee to look into claims of land ownership. This committee, the party recommended, should have local leaders and representatives from civil society in order to promote equity and transparency.
The memorandum also underscored that any administrative action should respect the law, be transparent, and must involve public consultation, more so considering the socio-economic vulnerabilities of the displaced population. “The APCC Minority Department will firmly oppose any unjust and one-sided move harming the rights and dignity of marginalized communities,” the party said.
At the same time, the Goalpara district administration began a mass eviction drive on Monday morning, focusing on encroachments in the vicinity of the Hasila Beel wetland. The drive was headed by Deputy Commissioner Khanindra Choudhury and Superintendent of Police Navneet Mahanta and included a huge deployment of security forces as well as the use of several excavators. In all, around 600 illegal structures were brought down by day’s end, freeing up almost 1,500 bighas of encroached land. Hasila Beel is an environmentally valuable wetland influenced by the Brahmaputra River. It is most important for flood control, aquatic diversity, and local fishing industry.
