[ Bengia Ajum ]
KATHAN, 14 Feb: Kathan village in Lohit district is emerging as the new frontline in the battle between the indigenous tribal population and the Chakma-Hajong settlers over land.
Both sides accuse each other of encroaching on their respective territory. There have been violent clashes between the two in the area over land resources. In June last year, both sides clashed at New Kathan village.
The Mishmi people alleged that Chakma settlers belonging to Nandakanam and Kamlapuri refugee settlement blocks tried to encroach on land belonging to the Mishmis.
“They started constructing a Buddhist temple inside our land. We opposed it and asked them not to construct a temple in our land. But they continued. Some of the people took away the Buddha statue and handed it over safely to the administration. We never damaged the temple as claimed by them,” said Kaoso Halai, the 82-year-old GB of Kathan.
The GB alleged that, on the same evening, the Chakma settlers attacked New Kathan village. “They fired guns and threw stones at the houses. At that time, most of the male members of the village were outside. The women and children somehow managed to save themselves,” he added.
He further said that Kathan has always been Mishmi land. “I lived with my parents in Kathan during World War II. British and American forces used to come near Kathan and ask us to keep an eye on Japanese forces. The Mishmis, just like other tribal groups of Arunachal, kept on migrating. From Kathan, our parents shifted to the Glow Lake area. Later, I came with my family to Kathan to settle down in my parents’ old village,” said Halai.
He alleged that, when the Chakmas were settled in Deban, which is near Kathan, the government did not consult the locals.
“The traditional boundary of Singpho and Mishmi is clear. The Chakma refugees were settled in Deban. But they have started to encroach on Mishmi land. Now they have reached Kathan and are trying to drive us out of our village. We fear for our future,” added the GB.
He also made it clear that the Mishmis would never leave Kathan. “This is our land and we will never leave from here. Chakmas have to vacate our land and we will not compromise on it. We have no problem if they stay within the refugee settlement area allotted to them by the government,” said Halai.
On the other hand, the Chakma community alleged that the Mishmis are trying to drive them out of government allotted settlement area.
“We are constantly harassed. Our lives have become miserable. We believe that we have not encroached on their land and are only settling down in the government allotted settlement area,” said Kalachand Chakma of 6 Kilo village near Kathan.
He also said that, instead of harassing the Chakmas, the Mishmi community should ask the state government why Mishmi land was allotted to the Chakmas. “We never asked the government to give us this and that land. It was the government which resettled us. The Mishmis should question the state government why their land was given to us for settlement. This is not our fault,” he said.
He claimed that the Chakmas want to live peacefully with the Mishmis and are ready to resolve all issues.
A few Chakmas agreed that, due to the growing population, some have encroached on forest land.
“Our population is growing. We have no source of income, apart from agriculture. That’s why some cases of encroachment on reserve forests are happening,” said a resident of Deban refugee settlement block in Changlang district.
There are 13 villages in Deban and it is one of the largest Chakma settlement areas. The Mishmis allege that the Chakma people of Deban are encroaching on Mishmi land in Kathan.
The Chakmas and Hajongs were settled in Arunachal Pradesh, starting from 1964, by the government of India. They originally belong to the Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh.
