Eviction drive by KAAC ‘unconstitutional’, says APHLC

Our Correspondent
Diphu, Feb. 3 (EMN): All Party Hills Leaders Conference (APHLC) on Thursday said that the eviction drive carried out by the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) along the Karbi Anglong-Nagaland border was “unconstitutional”.

APHLC President, JI Kathar told journalists that the conference had submitted a memorandum to Chief Executive Member (CEM) of KAAC, Tuliram Ronghang regarding the recent eviction drive carried out at Khan basti along the Assam-Nagaland border.

“The APHLC is not against the eviction drive carried out by KAAC authority in any parts of Karbi Anglong and West Karbi Anglong, which is governed by Sixth Schedule provision a mini constitution of India, and all encroachers who are not scheduled tribes occupying in Scheduled tribes land should be evicted,” he said.

“The APHLC is opposed to the eviction of people belonging to any tribes of the Nagas or any hill tribes without arranging proper rehabilitation for them. The Supreme Court also cautions against eviction of scheduled tribes. Paragraph 20 f the Sixth Schedule clearly says that Karbi Anglong and West Karbi Anglong districts are ‘Tribal Areas’. It does not say that these ‘Tribal Areas’ belong only to any particular hills tribes. All tribes of the Nagas who live in either east or west Karbi Anglong have the same rights like the Karbis and Dimasas,’ he added.

Kathar also claimed that the eviction drive carried out by KAAC at Langkaijan bordering Hojai district and Khan basti on Karbi Anglong-Nagaland border was done selectively and that the organisation doesn’t agree to targeting of certain community.

Stating that many of the “encroachers” have land pattas, he said instead of troubling them, exemplary punishment must be given to Revenue Officers, staff, and village headmen, who were involved in helping the “encroachers” purchase the plots and obtain land pattas illegally. To obtain land pattas, many non-tribal encroachers have married Naga, Karbi and other tribal women, he added.

The APHLC blamed the KAAC for not having its own land and revenue law and still adopting the Assam Land and Revenue Regulation,1886, for the mess.