Guwahati, Oct 17: The rehabilitation of 1,455 families from Laika and Dodhia forest villages in Dibru-Saikhowa National Park is facing challenges due to opposition from the All Assam Naga Welfare Society (AANWS). These families were slated for relocation to Namphai and Paharpur Reserve Forest under the Jagun and Lekhapani ranges in Upper Assam’s Tinsukia district.

The AANWS represents around 2 lakh Naga people living across 12 districts of Assam. This opposition has created a significant hurdle in the rehabilitation process, putting the future of the displaced families at stake. The issue raises concerns about the balance between community rights and resettlement efforts in Assam.

Addressing a press conference held at Freedom Fighters Rest House in Rup Nagar, AANWS president Shompha Wangshu clarified that while they have no objection to the rehabilitation of the displaced families from Laika and Dodhia, they strongly oppose the selection of Namphai and Paharpur areas.

Wangshu stated that these areas are predominantly inhabited by Naga communities, and they would not accept the government’s proposal to relocate the families there.

The opposition to the rehabilitation of Laika and Dodhia families by the Naga communities in Assam has intensified, with the Tirap Autonomous District Council Demand Committee (TADCDC) and 10 other ethnic organizations voicing strong concerns. According to Wangshu, the group plans to meet Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to raise their concerns about the state’s proposal.

Wangshu highlighted that the proposed settlement of Mising families in the Paharpur area would adversely affect the demography, language, and culture of the Naga population that has been settled there since 1945.

“Paharpur and adjacent villages like Balijan and Feneng remain non-cadastral areas, meaning no formal land survey has been conducted, and tribal people living there are still denied land rights or patta,” he said.

“This lack of cadastral recognition has resulted in the deprivation of government benefits and services for the area’s tribal residents,” he added.

The rehabilitation of the Laika and Dodhia forest villages’ families remains an ongoing and deeply contentious issue.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s declaration in March 2022 to upgrade the Tirap Belt to a Reserve Forest without consulting local tribal leaders has exacerbated tensions. The area, which includes tea gardens in Paharpur, is home to Nagas.

The Laika-Dodhia villages were initially established between 1951 and 1957 to resettle the Mising tribe, displaced by the 1950 Assam earthquake. The areas were later incorporated into the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park, adding to the complexity of the issue. Floods and erosion have forced the Mising families to relocate multiple times, but successive governments have struggled to find a permanent solution. Misings have faced evictions from various forest reserves, including Namphai, and even saw their homes burned by authorities in 2013. In 2017, after another flood, the Mising community entered Tarani forest reserve.

Despite several efforts, including a 2017 meeting chaired by the deputy commissioner and an October 2020 proposal to allocate 373 hectares in the Upper Dehing Reserve Forest, no satisfactory solution has emerged. This proposal was objected to due to the environmental impact, as it would require felling 8,000-10,000 trees.

In late 2020, protests erupted, with 3,000 Mising residents staging a 43-day demonstration in Tinsukia, resulting in the deaths of three protesters due to cold and poor living conditions. The state government responded by forming a 10-member committee, which submitted a new proposal in January 2021. This proposal suggested alternative sites, including 135 hectares in Lakhimpur for Dodhia residents and 166 hectares in Paharpur for Laika residents. However, these sites have not been widely supported by the Mising community.

Out of the 572 families from Laika, 160 were allocated land in Namphai, but many are still waiting for land entitlements. The process for 412 families in Paharpur is ongoing, and 51 families remain in temporary camps. For the 908 families of Dodhia, resettlement is pending due to their rejection of the proposed site in Adhakona, Lakhimpur, citing the need for a flood-free area. The issue of rehabilitation remains unresolved, with a lack of government action and significant opposition from affected communities, including both the Misings and the Nagas.

Read: Assam: GACDC holds massive public meeting to oppose formation of new committee for GDC

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