Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, 19 Nov: A notice served by the Harmuty (Assam) range forest officer to the villagers of Belo, Lora, Buka and Gumto in Papum Pare district to vacate alleged forest land within 15 days has created panic in the district.
As per a report, Assam’s forest officials started serving notices in these villages from Thursday onwards.
“You are hereby informed vide this notice that you have illegally entered into the RF, cleared and encroached forest land, violating Sections 24 and 25 of Assam Forest Regulation 1891 (Amended Act 1995). So nonce under Section 72 (C) of Assam Forest Regulation 1891 (Amended Act 1995) is hereby issued with a direction to vacate the forest land with your properties within 15 days’ time from the issue of this notice, failing which eviction operation will be carried out by the forest department as per rule and the department will not be responsible for any loss caused due to the eviction operation,” the notice read.
All the villages where the Assam forest officials served the notice are located inside Arunachal’s territory.
“They come into villages to paste notice when people are not around. None of the villagers has received notices as it has been served by the Assam government and we are citizens of Arunachal,” said Belo Lora GPC Taba Simon.
“People are living here since time immemorial, even before NEFA was created. Also, the Supreme Court (SC) has directed both the states to maintain the status quo and we are strictly abiding by the SC ruling. But Assam forest officials continue to harass us with such kind of bullying tactics,” he added.
Papum Pare ZPC Chukhu Bablu said that Assam’s forest officials are working against the joint declaration made by the chief ministers of Assam and Arunachal to pursue an out-of-court settlement.
“Both the CMs announced to look for a solution beyond the court. Already process has been started in Arunachal by forming committees. Assam forest official is provoking by issuing notices,” Bablu said.
The ZPC warned that if Assam’s officials attempt to destroy properties, it will create law and order problem. He appealed to the state government to look into the issue seriously.
Kimin ZPM Bamang Yayu said that the patience of the people living along the Assam-Arunachal boundary is being tested by the Assam forest officials.
“This kind of repeated threatening and intimidation should stop. This is complete harassment and people are fed up with it. This fresh notice has scared the people. Assam’s forest department should not interfere in our area,” she said.
All Arunachal Contractor Welfare Association president Nabam Akin said that the people of the villages concerned are now living in fear due to the notice served by the Assam forest department.
“Arunachal is facing threat from both China and Assam. Both want to capture our territories,” he said, adding that, if Assam’s officials forcibly try to illegally remove the structures, the locals might resort to any means to protect their properties.
“There is a potential of serious law and order problem. Assam should respect the SC’s order and maintain the status quo,” he added.
ANYA asks GoAP to act over eviction notice
Meanwhile, the All Nyishi Youth Association (ANYA) has strongly demanded that the state government hold talks with its Assam counterpart in this regard “as the case will be very sensitive and volatile if Assam forest officials will carry out illegal eviction drive in Arunachal territory after 15 days of notice.”
“An illegal eviction drive notice board was also found hanging on a tree in Gumto IV village, near the police check gate at Gumto, in Papum Pare district,” the association stated in a press release on Friday.
Vehemently condemning the “illegal and forceful attempt” of the Assam forest officials to capture Arunachal’s land, the ANYA reiterated that both Arunachal and Assam should obey the SC’s direction to maintain the status quo along the interstate boundaries.