Assam: Group condemns attack on activists, opposes Kaziranga hotel project
Guwahati: Rights activists and organizations in Assam have strongly condemned the attack on members of the Greater Kaziranga Land and Human Rights Protection Committee (GKLHRC) and evicted families protesting the construction of a five-star hotel in the vicinity of Kaziranga National Park.
The incident, which occurred on Wednesday, targeted people who were peacefully protesting the construction of a five-star hotel on land allegedly acquired from 45 poor tribal families.
Members of the GKLHRC, Manohar Pegu and Ritupan Pegu, were attacked by a mob when they were collecting testimonies from 45 families forcibly evicted to make way for the proposed Hyatt Hotel in Inglay Pathar near Kaziranga National Park (KNP).
Condemning the Attack and Alleged Police Collusion
A collective of activists and organizations including senior advocate Shantanu Barthakur, political activists Pankaj Kumar Das, Subrat Talukdar , Jayanta Gogoi and representatives from various social organizations, strongly condemned the attack.
In a statement, the group accused Himanta Biswa Sarma-led Assam government of orchestrating the violence, carried out "with the intention of killing" the protestors.
They further criticized the alleged involvement of Assam police alongside unidentified attackers, terming it an "attack on the democratic system."
Land Acquisition and Displacement
The statement pointed out Assam’s government's alleged hypocrisy in protecting Kaziranga while displacing local indigenous communities.
It criticizes the forced land acquisition for the proposed Hyatt Group hotel project, displacing 45 families.
The press release details an incident where Mrinal Gowala, a farmer impacted by the land acquisition, and her daughter were surrounded and threatened by over 100 attackers while seeking legal recourse at Rangajan.
The attackers also allegedly damaged the car of Pranab Dale, a leader of the security committee.
Police Action Questioned
The press release further criticizes the Bokakhat police's actions. Instead of registering complaints against the attackers, the police reportedly arrested Gita Gowala, who accompanied Mrinal Gowala and her daughter, and two research workers, Sourav Patgiri and Shubham.
Demands
The activists have issued a series of demands that includes immediate arrest of those who attacked Mrinal Gowala, her daughters, Manohar Pegu, and Rituparno Pegu; impartial investigation into the attacks on civilians; separate investigation into the alleged attempted murders of Pranab Doley and Rajib Pegu; security for the 45 victim families evicted from Rangajan; immediate halt to the construction of the five-star hotel project in Kaziranga.
Growing Discontent
The incident has sparked outrage among land rights activists across Assam. The group warned the government of a "larger land movement" if it fails to address land encroachment by corporations and grant land rights to indigenous communities.
