Our Correspondent
Diphu, Feb.11 (EMN): Countering the statement of All Party Hills Leaders Conference (APHLC) on the recent eviction drive carried out at Balijan Khanbasti of Lahorijan Block-3 by Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) authority, the BJP ST Morcha, Karbi Anglong District Committee said that the APHLC is trying to give a communal colour to it.
Addressing a press conference at Diphu Press Club, Longsing Tokbi, the state secretary, BJP ST Morcha, Assam Pradesh, said, “We appreciate the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) authority for carrying out the eviction drive at Balijan Khanbasti in Lahorijan Block-3 along the Assam-Nagaland inter-state border to flush out illegal settlers occupying government land. CM Himanta Biswa Sarma and our Chief Executive Member (CEM), KAAC, have coordinated well for the eviction drive.”
Karbis living there faced harassment and hardship from illegal settlers, he said.
Tokbi stated that the KAAC has taken up a right decision in flushing out illegal settlers. “Earlier, no parties in power at KAAC have taken up such a bold step as CEM Tuliram Ronghang. Despite the initiative taken by KAAC authority to evict illegal settlers, it is quite disappointing to note that opposition parties like APHLC have come up to criticise the KAAC authority saying it is illegal and unconstitutional” he said.
The APHLC leaders themselves are saying that names of non-Scheduled Tribe persons should be deleted from KAAC voter lists. Why are they supporting those illegal settlers now, he questioned.
“I also appreciate the initiative of the KSA Thangsing Timung and Simeon Rongphar groups and Karbi Students Union for having a meeting with the Naga Students Federation and Dimapur Naga Students Union to dispel any mistrust and ill-feelings from the eviction drive on both sides. It is said that the APHLC leaders went to have discussion with NSCN leaders. We condemned their behavior for trying to create communal tension”, Tokbi said.
On the demand by APHLC to carry out eviction drive at places like Uttar Borbil area in Howraghat, Kheroni areas in Kopili, Vothatlangso, Dalimbari, Kolonga, Donka, Jengkha, Parkup Pahar and Kothalguri, where Non ST communities are settled, Tokbi said the first priority is to protect the inter-state and inter-district borders from encroachers.
He also informed that some of the houses left out during the eviction drive said that they have land pattas, but none of them had genuine land pattas of KAAC and warned against those issuing duplicate land pattas that stern action will be taken.