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300 Khasias in Sylhet live on nerves

PORIMOL PALMA
The forest department officials aided by several hundred Bangla-speaking people destroyed betel leaf gardens on some100-acre land inhabited by indigenous Khasias at Notul Choilta punjee (Khasia village) in Karmadha union of Kulaora upazila under Moulovibazar district on Wednesday.
Following the incident, some 300
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Khasias are now living amid utter insecurity at the neighbouring punjees and hilly jungles, local leaders of Kulaora said, adding that the betel leaf gardens were the only source of income of the Khasias at Notun Choilta and would cost at least Tk 50 lakh.
The forest department also destroyed on July 27 betel leaf gardens at Noonchhara punjee and Puran Choilta punjee in the same union, local leaders of Kulaora told The Daily Star.
The Khasias in the Balaima, Puran Choilta, Amuli, Noon Chhara, Putichhara and Jhimai punjees now fear further eviction, amid rumour of the forest department's plan to implement a social forestry project in the area while some Bangla-speaking people threatened them of eviction.
The Khasia male members have been guarding their remaining betel gardens at Notun Choilta at night since the eviction.
The Khasia leaders are planning to lodge a suit in this regard, sources said, adding that the Khasias are now prepared with their indigenous arms to resist further possible eviction by the forest department.
Owel Khasia, leader of the Notun Choilta, told The Daily Star that they have been living on the Khas land of district administration for years and so the forest department has no right to evict the indigenous people.
Local Khasia leaders also said they had taken lease of the land and have been paying taxes to the government.
Meanwhile, a Khasia leader from Notun Choilta punjee alleged that the forest department had pledged to the Bangalees in the area give a portion of land in the punjees if the eviction drive is successful.
The forest department, however, refuted the allegations that they conducted the eviction drive in cooperation with the Bangalees and said the Khasias had been living and cultivating betel leaf on the forest department's land.
But an official in the office of Assistant Commissioner (Land) at Kulaora requesting anonymity said the land is under the district administration though Md Yunusur Rahman, Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Moulovibazar said he is not sure if the land belongs to the forest department or the district administration.
About allegations of the forest department's plan to implement a social forestry project, the DC said, "This is a reserve forest, and so there should not be anything like that."
Meanwhile, Officer-in-Charge of Kulaora Helaluddin said he had received no order to evict the Khasias, while Mihir Kanti Mojumder, joint secretary of the Department of Forest said they have not instructed any eviction of Notun Choilta punjee.