HT Bureau
DIPHU, Oct 25: A coalition of social students, NGOs, and political parties has voiced opposition over the alleged handing of 9,000 bighas of land to the Adani Group in Umrongso, Dima Hasao district, Assam.
During a press conference at the CPI (ML), Liberation, Hills Party Committee office on Friday, secretary Rabi Kr Phangcho said, “A delegation from CPI (ML-L) HPC and party affiliated organisations- Karbi Students Association (KSA), Karbi Nimso Chingthur Asong (KNCA), All India Students Association (AISA), Revolutionary Youth Association (RYA), Nirman Shramik, and AICCTU visited Umrongso’s mining project area on October 22 and found that 9,000 bighas (of land) had been allocated to the Adani Company group.”
Related Posts:
Phangcho condemned the BJP-led Dima Hasao Autonomous Council and Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council for seizing indigenous people’s land and demanded an immediate halt to the project.
“In Dima Hasao’s Umrongso area, predominantly Karbi villages such as Boro Lokhindong, Choto Lokhindong, Tharvelangso, Sikilangso, Cheksolangso, Borolobang, Choto Lobang, and Chotolarpheng have been there since ancient times,” he added.
Phangcho said Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) authority must immediately halt the illegal mining of coal, sand, and felling of trees to prevent environmental degradation, climatic change and depletion of forest resources.
He further stressed that giving land to multinational companies and issuing leases must be stopped immediately.
Meanwhile, on October 21, the Karbi Students Association (KSA), Mining Area Affected People Association (MAAPA), and Kopili Area Mining Affected People Association (KAMAPA) led by Indian National Congress, Assam Pradesh Congress committee submitted a memorandum to the Governor of Assam, Lakshman Acharya urging immediate cancellation of 1270-hectare new mining project proposed by the Directorate of Geology and Mining, Government of Assam, at Borolokhindong and New Umrongso village (70 hectares).
They also raised concerns against the Garampani coal mine project measuring 109-hectare Borolokhindong area of Dima Hasao District, Assam and the cancellation of the Mahabal Cement Private Limited Factory covering an area of 2000 bighas, comprising the villages of Nobodi Longkukro and Chotolarpheng.
These projects pose significant environmental and social risks to the affected communities, including Umrongso, Boro Lokhindong, Choto Lokhindong, Tharvelangso, Sikilangso, Chekso, Borolobang, Choto Lobang, Wokha Nepali Basti, Nobodi Longkukro, and Chotolarpheng. The associations have requested the government of Assam to protect the rights of poor tribal people under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India.
The memorandum mentioned that the tribal people living in the Garampani (Umrongso) constituency of Dima Hasao in particular the people of Umrongso 19 km, Boro Lokhindong, Choto Lokhindong, Tharvelangso, Sikilangso, Chekso, Borolobang, Choto Lobang and Wokha Nepali Basti have been facing lots of exploitation and forced to live a life of refugee in their land in the form of internal displacement and in the name development and industrialisation.
