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Srimangal Khasis

Adivasis, rights activists protest Friday's attack

Demand permanent solution to land problems

Our Correspondent, Moulvibazar
Ten rights organisations and people from different indigenous communities living in Moulvibazar's Kulaura upazila yesterday' demanded punishment to the attackers of Srimangal Khasis and a permanent solution to the land-related problems of the community.
More than a hundred adivasis formed a human chain in front of the Shaheed Minar in Kulaura, organised by Khasi Students Union, while Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (Bapa), an environmental group, condemned the attack through a statement on Saturday.
Bapa was also among the 10 bodies that joined the human chain, alongside Adivasi Nari Foundation, KUBORAZ, Kapaeeng Foundation, Tribal Welfare Association, Bangladesh Garo Students Union, Global Human Rights, Kulaura Press Club, and Bandan Santan Youth Sangathal.
In a statement, Bapa said, "We think, the attack was part of an enduring scheme to evict the Khasis, which has been perpetrated by the NaharTea Estate authorities for the last several years. We demand exemplary punishment for the attackers.... At the same time, we strongly urge the government to secure the lives of Khasis and permanently solve their land problem."
On Friday, about two hundred people led by P i j ush Ka n t i Bhattacharya, manager of Nahar Tea Garden, which is allegedly trying to grab 200 acres of land populated by Khasis, attacked the residents of Nahar Punjee-1, a Khasi village, in an attempt to evict them, leaving 20 injured.
It is a "planned attack", said Khalek Parvez Box, general secretary of Kulaura Press Club, while addressing the human chain.
More than six hundred people of Nahar Punjee 1 and 2 have almost been stranded since Friday's attack as the tea garden people blocked the roads to the two Khasi villages. Though some five to seven policemen were patrolling the tea estate area to prevent further attacks, it could not sufficiently create a sense of security among the adivasis.
On Saturday, a team of Bapa, including Father Joseph Gomes and Tofazzal Sohel, went to visit Nahar Punjee-1 but they were stopped by the tea garden people.
Monika Khonglah, chairman of
Adivasi Nari Federation and member of KUBORAZ, an association of Khasi people, demanded that the government punish the culprits and solve the land problems of the Khasis.
According to Khasi people, the community is living on government khas land and paying tax to the union parishad. They started living there way before NaharTea Estate was set up, in 1964, whose owner took lease of the tea garden land from the government. But the garden owner is unlawfully claiming the ownership of also that khas land where Khasis are residing.
Expressing grievances, Elfee Khonglah, general secretary of Khasi Students' Union, Kulaura unit, said, "Aren't we Bangladeshi citizens? We also have the right to live our lives."