HT Correspondent
MARGHERITA, Sept 13: In response to growing protests over the state government initiative to rehabilitate 412 families from Laika Dadhia village in the Paharpur area, three prominent Mising tribal organisations—Takam Mising Parin Koubung (TMPK), Mising Mimag Kaubang (MMK), and Takam Mising Mimou Koubung (TMMK)—addressed a joint press conference at Jagun in the Tirap Mouza under the Margherita sub-division of Tinsukia district on Thursday evening.
The leaders reacted sharply to allegations targeting the Mising community as ‘outsiders’, stressing the need for unity among Assam’s ethnic groups.
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During the conference, Gourav Padun, president of the TMPK Tinsukia District Committee, Ajay Doley, assistant secretary of the TMPK Tinsukia District Committee, Minturaj Morang, executive member of the MMK Central Committee, and other leaders explained that the Laika-Bongaon residents originally hail from the Murkongselek region, which was devastated by the 1950 earthquake.
Following the disaster, the state government resettled these people in two forest villages within the Dibru-Saikhowa area. However, after the establishment of Dibru-Saikhowa National Park in 1999, many residents were deprived of essential government facilities, leading to their current struggle for resettlement in more suitable locations, said Gourav Padun.
To resolve this long standing issue, the Assam government recently initiated a rehabilitation program to relocate 572 families from Laika to areas under the Digboi Forest Division, including Namphai Tapu and Paharpur. While 160 families have already been relocated to Namphai Tapu, the government is rapidly working to settle the remaining 412 families in the Paharpur area. However, this move has sparked protests from local groups, said Gourav Padun.
The Mising organisations distanced themselves from the protests, condemning the narrative of some groups labelling the Mising people as outsiders. “We have always fought for unity and harmony among Assam’s tribal groups, and we will continue to do so,” said Ajay Doley, assistant secretary of the TMPK Tinsukia District Committee. He added that there is a deep-rooted connection between the Mising people and the indigenous people of Assam, which includes communities like the Moran, Mottock, Ahom, Adivasi, Chutia, Rabha, Tiwa, Kartik, Lalung, and others.
Gourav Padun further criticised what they described as a divisive leader from a particular tribal organisation, accusing him of attempting to disrupt the unity and harmony among Assam’s ethnic groups. They questioned the logic behind claims that Mising people, who have long lived in areas such as Longtong, Sinaki, Golden Tribe, and Namphai Tapu, should now be barred from resettling in the Tirap Tribal Belt.
“The Mising people are not outsiders,” the leaders affirmed, adding that they are among the oldest indigenous communities in Assam, being the second-largest tribal group in the state. They argued that tribal belts were established to protect such communities and emphasised that any attempt to exclude Mising families from the Tirap Tribal Belt would not be tolerated, said Gourav Padun.
The Mising leaders asserted that no one has the moral right to protest against a single community as they reiterated their commitment to preserving unity among Assam’s tribal population. They warned against attempts to sow division among tribal organisations under the Margherita sub-division who are protesting against the rehabilitation of 412 families in the Paharpur area.
