4 injured during Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary eviction drive

Four persons sustained injuries when they tried to disrupt an eviction drive at Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary in Guwahati today, police said.

The eviction drive was conducted for clearing forest land from encroachers, as per the directions of the Gauhati High Court. The four were injured when police burst teargas shells when they attempted to obstruct the operation, said an Assam Police press release.

Protesting settlers in Nabajyoti Nagar inside the sanctuary attempted to obstruct the eviction operation in a major way and pelted stones injuring a photographer of the Forest Department, said the release.

To disperse the protestors, police resorted to bursting of tear gas shells and four persons, including three women were injured, police said.
 

The release claimed that leaders of the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) leaders instigated the people to obstruct the eviction drive.

The injured were admitted to Gauhati Medical College Hospital where they were stated to be out of danger, police said.

The eviction drive faced stiff opposition when women of the area lay on the ground in a bid to prevent the operation inside the wildlife sanctuary.

A huge number of state police, central paramilitary forces along with Kamrup (Metro) district administration and forest department personnel conducted the eviction using more than 15 elephants, bulldozers and excavators to remove the bamboo and thatch houses inside the forest, state officials said.

Before beginning the eviction operation, the administration officials through public address systems urged the settlers to remove their belongings and move away. The settlers refused to oblige and launched a protest against the drive. The protestors claimed they were forced to relocate to the forest as their homes in upper Assam's Lakhimpur, Dhemaji and Majuli districts were washed away by river Brahmaputra.

Claiming they were not given prior notice, the encroachers asked the district administration to provide them with alternative accommodation before evicting them.

Forest Minister Pramila Rani Brahma assured the protestors that the government would look into their claim about their homes being washed away by erosion. She said she had recently visited Lakhimpur, Dhemaji and Majuli districts.

"These people have not occupied those areas in their own districts. Therefore, some forces have shown the Amchang to the encroachers who have cleared forests and sold land there," Brahma said.

She added that the eviction drive will be carried out for three days.

Meanwhile, a release from the administration of Kamrup (Metro) district that comprises Guwahati city, said for the Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary eviction drive, it engaged 20 Executive Magistrates, 1,500 police personnel including officials with supporting personnel, representatives from public sector electric supply company, SDRF, besides forest department personnel, District Administration Health and other emergency services.

Altogether, 408 structures were demolished today.

Demanding the Amchang eviction be called off, an upper Assam bandh was called today by the Takam Mising Porin Kebang and All Mising Students Union along with 18 other tribal organisations, affecting normal life there, sources said.