Land as a factor of Assam’s Instability

Assam has been a centre of conflict amongst its communities and most of the issues emanate from land allocations which took place during British Raj. The demand for different pockets of land like the Naga demand for homeland, etc.

Bodos which is the largest and indigenous community, has been bestowed with Special Land Rights and many laws to protect those allotments.  The latter have been flouted by massive settlements of non-Bodos with the forgery of local land revenue staff and corrupt politicians.  Likewise, groups like Koch-Rajboingshi have also been staying there since colonial times. In addition the adivasis have been staying here since  the British brought them here on tea plantations. However, the latter have been deprived of basic amenities, roads, education, communication, etc. As a result they have been subjected to many attacks. The violence has continued  ever since the major riots between Bodos, Santhals and Adivasis took place at Kokrajhar in 1994.

It has been 20 years since many communities have been displaced and live in relief camps. Land has been the dominating issue for all those seeking new homelands and driving out any outside settlers. It is also a massive failure of the State administration to help restore mutual accord and peace.

The state government has to work to modernise the police force and also more recruitment. Thick forests can be guarded by use of surveillance drones. There should be formulation of a committee of  social scientists, civil society organisations, other officers to review the land fragmentation and thereby reduce confrontation. Assam has been teetering on a knife edge and it cannot be allowed to fall back into lost years of earlier times.