Over 1200 Santal families evicted from their land in Gobindaganj of Gaibandha district are now homeless and living in the shelter of others while many of them are also harassed in false cases. Media report on Wednesday said rights activists have protested the plight of the indigenous people and held a human chain in front of Jatiya Press Club to draw the attention of the authorities concerned to withdraw all false cases against them and return their ancestral land to them. We also join our voice and demand that injustices meted out to the Santal community must immediately end and the fate of the land must be quickly cleared that the Santal villagers are demanding of their forefathers.
Earlier report said local MP, Upazila and Union Parishad chairman were among the influential people who have joined hands to grab the land on the basis of a lease arrangement from Rangpur Sugar Mills. The land was acquired in 1962 by Pakistan government to grow sugarcane for the newly built sugar mill. The original lease document provided for return of the land to owners if the land remains vacant or put to production of other cereals. Since the sugar mill is only using part of the land the locals have taken over it provoking protest of the Santals.
Some of them moved to part of the land from 2012 and four months ago others occupied over 100 acres and built makeshift sheds and homes on the plea that the land belonged to their forefathers. On November 6, local vested quarters attacked the Santal homes with the help of police and sugar mills employees. In the process the entire village was evicted and left abandoned. Santals’ homes were gutted and property destroyed. Despite the High Court orders to local administration to give safety to the community, speakers of the Santal community said they are still unsafe and floating as refugees while many of them waiting to return homes.
What appears quite sensational is that a video footage of the attack on the Santal village that showed a police man was setting fire on a home accompanying the local ruling party men. As it went viral, protest is pouring in from all directions. What is highly slanderous is that despite the video footage showing policeman’s involvement, the government is yet to order a probe into how he became part of the attack and what role the local administration played in it. Three Santals died in the attacks and several injured but the demand for investigation is still ignored.
It appears that we are witnessing an erosion of tolerance against our ethnic and marginalized people. The attacks on Hindu homes at Nasirnagar and eviction of Santals fit into a pattern how powerful people are working to grab land of the weak and helpless. In our view this tendency can’t go unchallenged.
Earlier report said local MP, Upazila and Union Parishad chairman were among the influential people who have joined hands to grab the land on the basis of a lease arrangement from Rangpur Sugar Mills. The land was acquired in 1962 by Pakistan government to grow sugarcane for the newly built sugar mill. The original lease document provided for return of the land to owners if the land remains vacant or put to production of other cereals. Since the sugar mill is only using part of the land the locals have taken over it provoking protest of the Santals.
Some of them moved to part of the land from 2012 and four months ago others occupied over 100 acres and built makeshift sheds and homes on the plea that the land belonged to their forefathers. On November 6, local vested quarters attacked the Santal homes with the help of police and sugar mills employees. In the process the entire village was evicted and left abandoned. Santals’ homes were gutted and property destroyed. Despite the High Court orders to local administration to give safety to the community, speakers of the Santal community said they are still unsafe and floating as refugees while many of them waiting to return homes.
What appears quite sensational is that a video footage of the attack on the Santal village that showed a police man was setting fire on a home accompanying the local ruling party men. As it went viral, protest is pouring in from all directions. What is highly slanderous is that despite the video footage showing policeman’s involvement, the government is yet to order a probe into how he became part of the attack and what role the local administration played in it. Three Santals died in the attacks and several injured but the demand for investigation is still ignored.
It appears that we are witnessing an erosion of tolerance against our ethnic and marginalized people. The attacks on Hindu homes at Nasirnagar and eviction of Santals fit into a pattern how powerful people are working to grab land of the weak and helpless. In our view this tendency can’t go unchallenged.
