Proposed Barduar satellite township sparks uproar, Rabha groups protest ‘land takeover'
The area, comprising tea gardens, paddy fields, wetlands and forests near the Meghalaya hills, has become a point of contention among its residents.
Following the chief minister's office announcement about Himanta Biswa Sarma's review of urban infrastructure projects valued at USD 1 billion with GMDA and DoHUA officials, the All Rabha Students' Union (Arsu) raised objections.
Despite heavy rainfall, hundreds of locals, along with Sangrami Krishak Sramik Sangha (SKSS), staged a protest march in Mirza on Wednesday, culminating at the Palasbari revenue circle office.
Arsu's Kamrup district committee presented their grievances to the district commissioner through a memorandum, seeking land pattas for indigenous tribal families in Barduar tea estate's revenue villages 1, 2, and 3. Arsu Kamrup district secretary Ashok Nongbag said, "The message of establishing a satellite township in Barduar has sparked panic among the indigenous population in the Barduar area and surrounding villages.
This project hampers the movement of the Rabhas for achieving its prime goal of enlisting the Rabha inhabited areas in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution for greater autonomy, besides posing a negative impact on the socio-economic, daily livelihood, language, culture, and traditions of the indigenous communities in the Barduar area."
The memorandum highlighted that approximately 2,100 families could face displacement from the proposed township.
SKSS leader Dinesh Das advocated for prioritising land rights for riots and landless peasant families. The groups demanded title certificates under the Forest Rights Act 2006 for indigenous tribal families residing in Barduar's forest areas.
Records show that Barduar was a significant kingdom in 16th-century Kamrup district under Rabha rule. Arsu cited Mirza Nathan's Baharistan-I-Ghaibi, documenting Barduar's prominence until Batuwa kings' reign.
Tea cultivation began in 1861 under British rule, without proper land settlements for indigenous inhabitants.
The memorandum read, "In 1922, the British govt handed over a vast area in Barduar to Tea & Timber Company without giving land rights to the indigenous families living in the same area." The protesters vowed to continue their opposition, reminiscent of their past resistance to NDRF training camps and metropolitan expansion proposals in this tribal-protected region.
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